White Wolf and Red Hood
by DocHoliday0316
Summary: Geralt of Rivia is a witcher: a cunning sorcerer, a merciless assassin, and a cold-blooded killer. The White Wolf now finds himself on a quest to find his adopted daughter Ciri before the nefarious Wild Hunt do. However, he won't be on this journey alone. He will be aided by a young huntress cloaked in a red hood.
1. Little Girl Lost

**Chapter 1: Little Girl Lost**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former belongs to Andrzej Sapkowski and the folks at CD Projekt Red. The latter belongs to the late Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

* * *

[Forest near White Orchard, Northern Kingdoms]

Wind swayed through the trees of the forest as the afternoon sun shined down upon it. In a clearing of the forest was a makeshift campsite. A man sat near a campfire, and a brown mare was hitched to a nearby tree. The man appeared to be in his forties, but came off as being much older. He had silver-white hair that reach to the back of his neck, and the top part of it was fashioned into a ponytail. He also had a full beard. However, there were two features about his face that made him stood out the most. The first were his eyes, which were amber-colored and had slitted, cat-like pupils. The second was a scar that covered his left eye. He wore a set of lightweight armor made of leather and chainmail, with pads of chainmail and leather covering his shoulders and upper arms. On the right side of his belt was a hook. On his chest was a harness that helped him hold two swords on his back. The first one was made of steel, with a straight crossguard, a red colored hilt, and a teardrop-shaped pommel. The second one was made of silver, had a black hilt with a cirucular pommel, and a "V"-shaped crossguard. Lastly, around his neck was a silver medallion in the shape of a wolf's head.

This man was Geralt of Rivia. He was a Witcher, someone who would slay beasts and monsters in exchange for coin. He was currently traveling with Vesemir, a senior Witcher and his mentor, in search of Yennefer of Vengerberg, a sorceress and his lover. She had tried to get in contact with Geralt before, but had to flee in order to escape the fighting between the Nilfgaardian Empire and the forces of Redania. The two of them had arrived in White Orchard, which was the last known location of Yennefer. After doing a few odd jobs and taking on some contracts, Geralt was informed that a nearby Nilfgaardian military outpost may have information on Yennefer's whereabouts. He had spoke to the commander there, a man by the name of Captain Gwynleve, and they had made a deal. In exchange for killing a griffin that had been plaguing White Orchard, Gwynleve would give Geralt information about Yennefer, along with the reward money that was offered for killing the griffin.

After doing some investigating, Geralt had decided to prepare for the eventual confrontation with the griffin. And he was currently doing so by brewing the Thunderbolt potion and Hybrid Oil, and making Grapeshot bombs. Acquiring the ingredients for the Hybrid Oil (white myrtle petals and dog tallow) had been easy. The first of the two ingredients were a commonly grown herb around these parts. He had acquired the second from killing a wolf that had attacked him. The ingredients for the Thunderbolt (cortinarius, dwarven spirit, and endrega embryo) and the Grapeshot (calcium equum and saltpeter) had been acquired from a local herbalist. While at the herbalist's hut, he had encountered a girl that had survived an attack by the griffin, but was left seriously injured. He had given the herbalist one of his potions, Swallow, as a way to try to heal her. However, the potion was highly toxic to those without a Witcher's constitution. The girl would either be healed by the potion, die from it, or left in a state worse than death. However, it was still better than doing nothing.

"There, it's done," Geralt said as he began to pour the freshly brewed Thunderbolt potion into three small bottles. He then corked the potions and placed them in his box of elixirs (the only other potions he had in them were his remaining doses of Swallow). He then unsheathed his silver sword, and grabbed the bottle of Hybrid Oil he had previously made. However, before he could began oiling his blade, he was interrupted when his horse made a startled whinny.

"Something the matter, Roach," he asked the horse, before he suddenly stopped and listened. He then sniffed the air a few times before suddenly coming up with his analysis.

"There's a smell of roses mixed with blood. Someone's close by."

Picking up his silver sword, Geralt walked away from his campsite and began to search the area. After a few minutes of searching, he found the source of the scent. It was a girl lying on the ground unconscious. She appeared to be around fifteen years old, with a pale complexion. She had black hair with red colored tips. Her attire looked rather odd to Geralt. She wore a black blouse and skirt with red trimmings, along with a corset tied with red laces. Completing her attire was a scarlet colored hood and cloak, which was clipped to her blouse by two cross shaped pins.

Geralt noticed that she was bleeding from her temple. He knew he couldn't leave her out here. The girl needed medical attention, and she would also be at the mercy of creatures like wolves or ghouls if left alone. With that, he picked the girl up and carried her back to his campsite. Within a few minutes, he had packed up his supplies and put out the fire. He then placed the girl in front of him on Roach's saddle, and rode off back to White Orchard.

* * *

[The Trotting Stallion Inn, White Orchard, Northern Kingdoms]

Vesemir sat near the back of the tavern, currently tending to his drink, a cool draft of rye. He appeared to be in his late 60s to early 70s, but was actually nearly two hundred years old. His hair was gray-colored and reached to his back, and part of it was done in a top knot. Another notable feature on his face was a mustache and a soul patch. Vesemir possessed a rather stocky build, and wore a teal colored tunic complete with brown trousers and boots. Two large pads of leather covered his shoulders and upper arms, and wore a pair of gauntlets that has metal studs around the forearms. Strapped to his back was a two-handed steel sword that had a curved handguard.

Vesemir was interrupted from his musings when he heard the sound of a door being kicked opened. He turned his attention towards the entrance, and saw Geralt coming, carrying an unconscious girl bridal style.

"Do you have any spare bedrooms in the back," Geralt asked the innkeeper as she stared down at the girl in his arms. She then gave the Witcher a nod of understanding before motioning him to follow her to back. A few minutes later, Geralt returned to where Vesemir was sitting at, and sat down across from him. He now had an earthenware tankard of Redanian lager in his hand.

"So, do you mind explaining why you brought a girl back here," Vesemir asked as Geralt took a sip from his drink. He then cleared his throat before explaining things to his mentor.

"I was brewing potions when I discovered her near my campsite. She was injured, and I couldn't just leave her there."

"Hm, makes sense," Vesemir said as he took a sip of his drink. He then decided to change the topic.

"So, how goes your business with the Griffin?"

"I've learned some things. The Griffin abandoned its lair. Its nest was in the Vulpine Woods. A group of Nilgaardian soldiers burned the woods down, killed its mate, and smashed its eggs. They thought it would fix things"

"What a pity," Vesemir said as he shook his head. "Instead of sending for a professional, they tried to fix it themselves, only to make matters worse."

"I'm going to have to lure it out and set a trap for it. Some Buckthorn will do the trick, and I know where to get some."

"That ought to work like a charm. It has a powerful scent to it," Vesemir commented.

"More like stench," Geralt muttered, his face scrunching up in disgust.

"City boy. Rotting meat, manure, piss - these are the standard smells of the countryside," The elder Witcher chuckled as he poured himself a new drink. He chuckled again as another thought entered his head.

"You remember that time in Tretegor, when you hunted down that zeugl in the trash heap? You, spent half the next day bathing and scrubbing, trying to get rid of the scent!"

"How can I forgot? Are you ever going to stop bringing that up," Geralt muttered in annoyance as he finished off his drink.

Vesemir drained the rest of his rye before letting out a sigh of appreciation.

"Well, if everything is ready, just say the word, and we'll get to work, Wolf."

"I'm ready, but I'd feel more comfortable if one of us would stay here and watch over the girl in case she wakes up."

Vesemir put his hand to his chin as he thought things over. After a few minutes of silence, he revealed his decision.

"Alright, I'll stay. Besides, I don't think my shoulder wound has healed up yet."

Geralt gave a nod of approval as he suddenly got up. However, Vesemir interrupted him once more.

"Before you go, you should take this. It might come in handy."

The old Witcher reached onto the chair next to him, and brought out his present to Geralt. It was revealed to be a compact crossbow, designed to be used with one hand.

"A crossbow?"

"Mm-hmm. I won it in a game of cards while you were out running about."

"Well, how about that. You've always lectured us on evils, but you're a gambler yourself."

"Don't you have a griffin to kill," Vesemir retorted as Geralt mounted the crossbow on his back. With that, the White Wolf headed out the door of the inn. However, he was not going to set up his trap just yet.

Geralt walked through the village until he was at the workshop of the local blacksmith, a dwarf by the name of Willis. Willis was currently hammering out a sword on his anvil. He wore a white shirt with an open blue vest that had red stripes, green trousers, and brown shoes. A white bandana covered his head, and he had a gray beard that was partially braided.

Willis looked up from his work to notice Geralt approaching him.

"Ah, a returned customer! How can I help?"

"Is the order that I placed ready yet?"

"Aye, it is," Willis replied as he went back into the workshop. After a few minutes, he came back out with a cloth covered object in his arms. He set it down on the table before pulling the cloth back. It was revealed to be a set of swords. The first sword was made of steel with a straight crossguard, a hilt that was wrapped in black leather, and a circular pommel that had a carving of a viper's head etched onto it. The second one was made of silver, with a brown leather hilt, a v-shaped crossguard, and a teardrop shaped pommel.

These were the steel and silver swords of the Witcher School of the Viper. Geralt had discovered the diagrams of the swords, along with an unsent letter, on a body in the local cemetery crypt. According to the letter, the body was that of Kolgrim, a Witcher from the School of the Viper. He had been tasked with finding lost weapon diagrams that belonged to his order. He had succeeded in finding the diagrams, but was falsely accused of kidnapping a local beekeeper's son. He was murdered by the villagers and his body was thrown in the local crypt. Geralt had brought the diagrams to Willis, and commissioned them to be made, as well as have runes installed on the blades (the Svarog rune for the steel sword, and the Dazhbog rune for the silver sword).

Geralt picked up the steel sword and unsheathed it. He then gave the sword a few experimental swings. Satisfied with his results, he sheathed the sword and turned back to Willis.

"Very good. You have my thanks, Willis."

"Best of luck to you, Geralt."

With that, the Witcher took his leave and headed back to the inn. He unhitched Roach from his post and headed off to do his work.

* * *

[Field near White Orchard, Northern Kingdoms]

 _One hour later…_

Geralt sat a nearby thicket, waiting for the griffin to come upon his trap, his new swords strapped to his back. The witcher had passed the time by oiling his newly acquired silver sword with the hybrid oil. His two grapeshot bombs sat on the left side of his belt, and a bottle of Thunderbolt was out as well.

Setting up the trap had been simple. He had gotten the buckthorn by diving down into a nearby river and retrieving it from the riverbed. Buckthorn, when brought out of water, had the distinct smell of rotting flesh. The smell would attract the griffin like a moth to a flame. Geralt had hidden the buckthorn under the corpse of a sheep, so when the griffin arrived, it would think it was getting a free meal.

Geralt's thoughts wandered back to the girl he had found. He had no idea why a girl would be out and about in the middle of woods at that time of the day. Oddly enough, the girl's red cloak reminded him of an old tale he once heard. It was about a girl in a red hood who went to visit her grandmother, only to end up being eaten by a wolf.

The witcher's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of screeching in the air. Acting quickly, he popped the cork off the Thunderbolt and then downed the potion in one go. It tasted sour and caustic, like all Witcher's potions. However, Geralt had long since gotten use to the taste of it. Geralt rolled his neck as the potion began to take effect. He then stepped out into the clearing, silver sword in hand.

The griffin screeched as it swooped down from the sky and landed in the field. Like all griffins, this one had the body of a lion, but the wings, talons, and beak of an eagle. Where the front usually were was a pair of magnificent wings. The wings had talons on them, similar to a bat's wings. Its mane was black, and its sharp beak was caked with blood.

The griffin turned its attention away from the smell as it noticed Geralt approaching it. It screeched and lurched forward, intending to rend him with its talons. The Witcher, on the othe hand, acted quickly. He shoved his free hand forward and casted one of his signs, _Aard_. A telekinetic blast of magic rushed forth from Geralt's hand and hit the griffin in the face. Taking the chance while it was momentarily stunned, Geralt rushed forward with his silver sword. He opened up with an upper diagonal slash to the left before pirouetting and following up with another diagonal slash to the right. He finished this off with a vertical slash.

The griffin howled as the blows hit its face. It regained its focus and swiped at Geralt again, but the witcher dove forward to avoid it. He then slashed at the griffin's hindquarters. The beast quickly jumped into the air and flew off. When it had reached the halfway point of the field, it turned around and started heading towards Geralt.

The White Wolf quickly brought the crossbow off his back and took aim. As soon as he had one of the beast's wings in his sight, he fired. The bolt flew and hit the griffin in its right wing, causing it to tumble and crash onto the ground. Geralt quickly placed the crossbow back on his back before taking one of the Grapeshot bombs off of his belt. He wouldn't allow the Griffin to get a chance to respond. He flung the bomb at the downed griffin. It landed near the griffin, and shrapnel exploded from it and dug into the creature's side. The griffin got up and slowly began to circle Geralt. The witcher strafed as well, with his silver sword at the ready.

A few seconds of tense silence passed before either one of them reacted. The griffin suddenly pounced forward, talons at the ready. Geralt attempted to cast one of his signs, but he was too late. The creature slammed into him and he fell on the ground hard, his silver sword escaping his grip. His chest was in pain, one of his ribs flet bruised, and he had the wind knocked out of him. However, the witcher forced himself to get up in spite of his injuries. His breath soon returned to him as he watched the griffin take off and fly away from the field.

"Damn it," he muttered as he picked up his silver sword and sheathed it. Following that, he put his thumb and forefinger to his mouth and let out a long whistle. The sound of galloping hooves was then heard, and Geralt turned behind him to see Roach running towards him. The mare suddenly stopped as she came within distance of her owner.

"Move it, Roach," Geralt ordered as he mounted his mare and began to follow the griffin. Geralt whipped Roach's reigns to make her ho faster, his eyes still focused on the griffin. He cut through the fields, having decided that taking the roads would take too much time. The griffin slowed its flight as it landed in front of a local mill. Geralt slowed Roach down to a slow trot and got off him, rushing towards the griffin. The creature howled at him as it once again prepared to pounce. However, Geralt was prepared this time.

He grabbed the remaining Grapeshot off of his belt and threw it at the griffin. The bomb landed directly on its face, exploding and stunning it. The witcher then took aim with his free hand and casted _Igni_ at the griffin. A concentrated stream of embers came out from Geralt's hand. The griffin screamed in agony as the intense heat burned its skin. It then attempted to take off again, flying a few feet in the air. However, Geralt was quicker, as he stopped his spell and grabbed his crossbow. He took aim and fired at the griffin's right wing. The bolt pierced through the skin, and the griffin crashed down. It laid on its side, with its underside exposed to him.

This was his chance to end the creature for good. Geralt threw his crossbow to the ground, and rushed in with both hands on his silver sword. The White Wolf sliced the griffin's belly and then thrusted his sword forward into its chest. The griffin let out its last screams as the silver blade pierced its heart. Its head then unceremoniously collapsed to the ground, its body lying still.

Geralt took in deep breaths as he sheathed his sword on his back. He then whistled again and Roach came trotting towards him. Geralt opened up Roach's saddlebags and brought his box of potions. He opened up the lid and took out one of his doses of Swallow. He popped the cork off and swallowed the potion. Swallow would speed up his natural healing factor, and his bruised ribs would recover at a faster rate. Geralt then approached the Griffin's corpse, and took out a small knife kept on his person.

Now came the messy part…

Next Time - Not in Remnant Anymore

* * *

 **A/N:** Welcome to the first chapter of my newest fic, _White Wolf and Red Hood_!

This story idea has been on my mind for quite awhile. Hell, probably originated back in March or April of this year, when I was playing _The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt_ a lot in my down time, and when I watched the first volume of _RWBY_ on Netflix (I still have yet to watch the other two volumes). And I admit that an unexpected influence on this fic came from _A Dead World_ by Lazuli. It's a _Prototype/Fallout: New Vegas_ crossover in which Alex Mercer finds himself in the Mojave Wasteland, and begins to travel with Courier Six and Arcade Gannon. I suggest you all check it out since it has really good humor and great character interactions in it.

And I have a feeling that people will be telling me that I'm an awful person for sending naive and innocent Ruby Rose into the harsh and brutal lands of the Northern Kingdoms. I should point out that there worse places that I could have sent her to, such as Yharnam, the Kingdom of Midland, or Westeros.

Anyway, updates for this will take time, as I have my other fics to work on, and I'll be starting my first semester at Ball State University later this month. Until then, leave a review or fave and follow this if you liked it!


	2. Not in Remnant Anymore

**Chapter 2: Not in Remnant Anymore**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former belongs to Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red. The later belongs to the late Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[The Trotting Stallion Inn, White Orchard, Northern Kingdoms]

Ruby groaned as she slowly began to open her eyes. She was soon greeted by the site of an unfamiliar ceiling. She propped herself up onto her elbows, and looked around the room she was in. The room she was in was sparsely decorated. It only had a simple woodframe bed (which she was on), a nightstand, and a chair. The room had an open window nearby, and it was lit by candlelight.

Ruby's attention changed suddenly when she heard the sound of a door opening. She turned to the source, and saw a tired-looking, middle-aged woman enter the room. The woman gasped as she soon as she saw Ruby, and turned towards the entrance of the door.

"Mister Vesemir! She's woken up," the woman shouted. A few moments later, an old man entered the room.

"Thank you, Elsa," Vesemir said as the woman soon left the room. With that, he pulled up the chair and sat down next Ruby's bed.

"Hello there. My name is Vesemir, and I'm a friend of the man who found you," the old Witcher said, his voice containing a grandfatherly tone to it.

"Found me?"

"Yes. Do you have a name?"

"My name is Ruby Rose," Ruby replied as Vesemir chuckled to himself.

"Nice to meet you, Ruby. Now, can you tell me where your family is? They must be worried sick about you."

"I would, but I don't know where I am," Ruby said as she scratched the back of her head. "Can you tell me which of the four kingdoms are we in?"

The old witcher raised an eyebrow at Ruby's question.

"Four kingdoms? I don't know what you mean by that. But if you must know, we're in Temeria. We're specifically in a small village called White Orchard."

"White Orchard? I haven't heard of that."

Vesemir scratched his chin at that. She must have been from somewhere far off from White Orchard. He didn't know how she would have gotten here, due to the war going on between Redenia and Nilfgaard.

The old witcher shook these thoughts out of his head as he addressed Ruby.

"Well, you must be hungry. I can get you some supper, if you want."

Before Ruby could answer, her stomach did for her as it made a grumbling sound. She quickly got out of bed and followed Vesemir back into the inn. The two then found a table, and the old witcher went off to order some food.

* * *

[Nilfgaardian Military Outpost, White Orchard, Northern Kingdoms]

 _Meanwhile_

The evening sun settled in the west as Geralt rode up to the garrison on Roach, passing by soldiers doing drills. Attached to Roach's saddle was the head of the Griffin, mounted to it by a hook through its eye socket and bounded with rope. Asides from his trophy, Geralt had managed to scavenge some parts for his alchemy from the beast's corpse.

The White Wolf soon arrived at the stairs that lead up to the fort that served as the Nilfgaardian's base. He dismounted and hitched Roach to a nearby post. With that, he grabbed his trophy and headed up the stairs. Two soldiers guarding the doorway noticed Geralt, and, more specifically, the head he was carrying. The first guard gave a nod of confirmation, and let the witcher in.

As soon as Geralt stepped into the fortress, he caught sight of Captain Gwynleve. The man appeared to be in his forties, with slicked back hair and a goatee. He wore the standard armor of the Nilfgaardian army, which was black with gold trimmings, and had an emblem of a sun on the chest. Red markings on the armor identified him as the rank of Captain.

Gwynleve was currently inspecting several bags that were full of grain. A farmer was nearby the bags, waiting for the captain to give his response.

"What the hell is this," Gwynleve said sharply as he got to his feet and addressed the farmer.

"R-rye," the farmer replied meekly.

"You take me for a blind man, or a fool? This grain is rotten!"

"I-I didn't know."

"So a fool. Damnit, you never learn," the captain sighed to himself. He shook his head before he began to recite something.

"Military codex, article two, section three: 'For the delivery of defective goods – fifteen lashes with a knout'. Make it so."

The farmer's widen as he heard his punishment.

"No, no! By the gods, no," he pleaded, dropping to his knees and hoping that Gwynleve would grant him mercy. However, the captain only stared back at him. Hanging his head low, the farmer got to his feet and followed two nearby soldiers to face his punishment.

Geralt simply looked on as he watched this events happen before his eyes. He remembered seeing Gwynleve talking to the farmer when he first arrived to the outpost. When the farmer had called the Captain "his excellency", he had responded by showing him the calluses on his hands. He told him that his hands weren't that of excellency, but of "a hard working man like yourself". When the farmer had promised to bring forty bags of grain, Gwynleve had compromised and told him to bring thirty. Geralt had gained the impression that Gwynleve was a decent man, different from the rest of the Nilfgaardians. It looked like he was wrong.

Gwynleve turned to notice Geralt standing nearby.

"What," he snapped angrily. The witcher simply responded by tossing the griffin's head to his feet.

"There. Fulfilled my end of the bargain. Now it's your turn. Where'd Yennefer go?"

"To Vizima," the Captain replied. The witcher sighed in annoyance at his answer.

"She was a day's ride from here, right under my nose? You could of have just said so."

"Yes, I might have. But you would not have killed the griffin. Tit for tat."

Geralt internally seethed at Gwynleve's words. The Nilfgaardian thought he had to be _tricked_ in order to get rid of the griffin. He was a witcher. It was his _job_ to kill beasts and monsters. He hated the idea that he would not have gotten rid of the griffin unless he was complied to.

The witcher turned and left, heading for the exit. However, Gwynleve's voice was heard again.

"Halt."

Geralt stopped in his tracks and turned to see the captain approach him, a medium-sized leather pouch in his hand.

"We are not done. This gold is yours. I wouldn't want to say that you were inadequately compensated."

Geralt wordlessly took the gold and walked out of the exit. Money was tight, and he could use every crown he could get his hands on.

The witcher walked down the stairs, and went to where Roach was. He unhitched the mare, mounted her, and headed off towards White Orchard. Once he had dealt with the girl he had found, he and Vesemir would head off to Vizima.

* * *

[The Trotting Stallion Inn, White Orchard, Northern Kingdoms]

"So Vesemir, are you and your friend huntsmen?"

Vesemir looked up when he heard Ruby's question. The two of them were quietly having dinner. In front of Ruby was her half eaten meal. It consisted of roasted chicken, boiled potatoes, and three slices of bread on a wooden plate with a tall glass of milk. Vesemir, in the meanwhile, had decided to help himself to another draft of rye.

"Well, we're something of the sort," Vesemir answered as he took a sip of his drink. Ruby perked up as she heard his answer.

"Having you been having trouble with the Grimm in these parts?"

"Don't know what you mean by the Grimm, lass. However, there's been no shortage of monsters nowadays. They're thriving because of the war between Nilfgaard and Redenia, especially the necrophages."

"Necrophages?"

"Corpse eaters. Ghouls, alghouls, rotfiends, and the like. They're often in places where dead bodies are, and they eat the remains of them. A place like the remains of a battlefield would be a feast to them."

Ruby shoveled a spoonful of potatoes into her mouth as she pondered Vesemir's words. What took her by surprise was the fact that he had never encountered or even heard of the Grimm. And she in turn had never heard of these "necrophages" that he mentioned. Just where on Remnant was she?

Vesemir turned his head towards the window as he heard the sounds of hooves from outside. He quickly got up and spoke to Ruby.

"Well, it looks like Geralt is back from dealing with the Black Ones. Let's go and greet him, shall we?"

Ruby nodded as she took a sip of milk and followed the old witcher outside.

As soon as she stepped outside of the inn, she noticed a man hitching a horse to the stables. With his white hair and the scar running across his left eye, the man reminded Ruby of her teammate Weiss Schnee. Ruby then got a good look at her surroundings as Vesemir walked towards the man.

Her surroundings were completely different from what she was used to in Remnant. The roads were dirt paved and the houses were simple, being constructed out of wood. People walked around in strange and simple clothing.

" _Maybe I'm somewhere outside the four kingdoms_ ," Ruby thought to herself, still trying to remain optimistic about her situation. However, she then looked up into the night sky, and her worse fears were confirmed.

She remembered Remnant's moon. It was fractured and beautiful in the night sky. However, this moon wasn't her moon.

It was _different_. It was _whole_.

Ruby dropped to her knees in shock. She looked down at her hands as panic began to sweep through her mind.

" _Alright, alright. Ruby, don't panic. You're in a world that's clearly not Remnant. But there's clearly a door out. Like c'mon, how else can I be here. There has to be a way back somewhere._ "

"Are you alright," Geralt asked as he looked down at the huntress. Ruby broke out of her trance as she looked up at the witcher.

"Y-yeah. I think I have some explaining to do to you guys, but you'd probably wouldn't believe me."

"You'd be surprised on what we're willing to believe, lass," Vesemir said as he helped Ruby up to her feet. With that, two went back into the inn with Geralt following close behind them. The Witcher sighed to himself, as he had a feeling that he was in for quite the story.

* * *

 _15 Minutes Later…_

"So you probably think I'm crazy," Ruby said as she finished her story. The three were currently sitting at a table, with Geralt and Vesemir on one side and Ruby on the other. Geralt had gone and gotten himself a tankard of beer.

The witcher brought his drink to his lips as he thought about the tale that the girl had just told. Ruby had talked of a world with transforming weapons, monstrous creatures known as the Grimm, and a miracle crystal simply known as Dust. It all sounded like something out of a fairy tale. Then again, so were magic and monsters, and those things were commonplace in his world. Geralt looked up at the young huntress and gave her his answer.

"We believe you."

Ruby perked up as she heard his answer.

"Really?"

Vesemir nodded as he explained things to Ruby.

"It's not commonly known, but travel between worlds _is_ possible. We've even trained someone who had those abilities. Your story isn't too far-fetched."

Ruby sank back into her chair and let out a sigh of relief. Geralt put his tankard on the table and extended his hand to the girl.

"I don't think we've had the chance to be properly introduced to each other. My name is Geralt. Geralt of Rivia."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Ruby Rose," the young huntress replied as she shook Geralt's hand. She then straightened up and began to ask the two witchers some questions.

"So Vesemir, you said that you and Geralt were similar to huntman?"

"Yes. We're witchers. Professional beast slayers. Whenever someone has monster troubles, they come running to us. Provided if they have the coin.

"So who usually hires you?"

"It depends on the contract, but we're usually hired by villagers," Geralt said as he took a sip of his beer. "We rarely get hired by royalty. But if we do, we're to remain neutral in their matters. I could honestly care less about politics."

Ruby nodded before she then noticed the two swords on Geralt's back. Her eyes gleamed as she stared at the blades.

"Are those your weapons? Can I see them," the girl asked animatedly, excitement in her voice. Vesemir chuckled at Ruby's behavior while Geralt responded by shaking his head.

"No. Showing them off here would attract unwanted attention."

Ruby quickly settled down, disappointed, before giving the swords another look over.

"Why do you carry around two of them? My first thought was that you duel wielded them, but the blades are too long for that to be done effectively. And the hilt size suggests that they're meant to be used with two hands."

"I'm surprised you were able to figure that out from a single look," Geralt commented as he took a long drink from his beer. Ruby smiled and sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

"I'm… sort of into weapons."

Geralt chuckled at her response. Vesemir, meanwhile, cleared his throat and began to explain Witchers' swords to Ruby.

"The reason why we carry around two swords is simple. The steel sword is meant be use against humans and beasts such as wolves. The silver sword, on the other hand, is meant to be used against monsters."

"Correction," Geralt interrupted as Ruby's attention then focused on him. " _Both_ swords are for monsters."

Ruby quietly went back to her meal as she contemplated Geralt's words. After a few minutes, she her meal was done, her finishing it off by drinking the last of her milk.

With that, she then asked the two witchers a very important question.

"Can I travel with you two?"

"Pardon?"

"I have nowhere else to go, and you're the only two people I know. So I thought it would make sense that I would go with you."

"Well, how about it, Geralt," Vesemir said as he turned to his fellow witcher. "From the sound of things, the lass can defend herself. Plus, it would be nice to have some company on the Path."

Geralt put his finger and thumb to his chin and thought things over. It made sense for her to travel with the two witchers. And the girl did remind him of Ciri was she was younger. After a few moments of silence, Geralt gave his answer.

"Fine. You can travel with us."

Ruby cheered before returning to talking to the two witchers.

"So where will we be going?"

"Currently looking for a woman named Yennefer," Geralt replied as he finished off the rest of his beer.

"Is she a friend of yours?"

"You could say that."

"Speaking of which, did you get any information from the Black Ones, Geralt," Vesemir asked as the White Wolf gave his answer.

"Yennefer's in Vizima. I have a few friends there so…"

Geralt stopped explaining when he saw that the old Witcher's attention was focused elsewhere.

"Something wrong?"

"Look around. There's trouble brewing," Vesemir said as he motioned to a nearby table. Geralt and Ruby turned to the table. At the table were three men. Two of them wore what appeared to be soldier helms. The another wore a fur vest, which showed off his tattooed body. The last one wore a simple white shirt and was bald.

Geralt recognized them instantly. It was the locals that confronted him when he first arrived in White Orchard. They had confronted him when he first left the Trotting Stallion. They had told him that they wanted him to leave. Geralt had tried to reassure them they he and Vesemir would only be there for a few days at the least. However, they didn't like the answer and tried to attack him. The witcher had manage to beat them all down with his fists. After that, they had stopped bothering the two witchers. From the looks of things, they hadn't gotten over it.

"It's time we were on our way," Geralt concluded as Vesemir nodded.

"I'll buy some provisions for the journey, and then we'll go," Vesemir said as he got up from the table. However, he turned back to Geralt to give him a warning.

"Geralt, we should stay out of it, just this once."

Geralt nodded as Vesemir went off to buy goods. Ruby blinked at this exchange before talking to Geralt.

"What's their problem with you?"

"Let's just say that they don't like my kind."

Vesemir, meanwhile, approached the bar. At the bar was the innkeep Elsa, and a woman tending to a glass of vodka. Elsa, meanwhile, was busy stirring a pot of stew. The old witcher quietly placed a cloth sack and jug on the countertop. Elsa, seeing the two things, quickly placed the pot down and tended to Vesemir.

"What would you like?"

"Just some food for the road, Elsa."

The innkeep nodded and quickly filled the sack. Soon, it was filled bread, salt pork, dried fruit and nuts, and smoked meat. These were foods that would last long on the road. After that, she quickly filled the jug with water.

The woman at the bar the noticed something. A shield that bore the emblem of Temeria (silver lilies on a black background) had hung at the bar, serving as a decoration. It was now gone.

"What happened to the lilies," the woman questioned as Elsa handed Vesemir back his supplies.

"Took 'em down."

"Took 'em down? Why? To hang a golden sun there now," the woman replied bitterly as she took another sip of her drink.

"I cannot show Temerian colors. If I do, the Black Ones will come and burn the tavern down," Elsa reasoned as she turned back to her work. However, her response only seemed to anger the woman more.

"Maybe it's true what they say? You fond of the Imperials? You Nilfgaard's whore?"

"I'll let that pass. I know that grief eats at your heart," Elsa said as she offered to pour the woman another drink. Suddenly stood up and got into the innkeep's face.

"You know shit! They hanged my sister. Dragged her out o' the cloister like a dog. Said Nilfgaard's no place for superstition. That they don't fear the wrath of the gods. And you, do you fear it?"

This confrontation had now gotten the attention of the entire tavern. Ruby looked on, surprised, while Geralt remained impassive. Elsa attempted to leave, but the woman grabbed her by the arm and forced her down.

"If it was not for Annie, your child woulda choke on its navel-string. You owe your son to my sister attending to the birth. And you don't fear the gods' wrath?! YOU DON'T FEAR IT, YOU CUNT?!"

With that, the woman slammed Elsa's head down onto the countertop. She followed it by grabbing the innkeep's head down with both hands and repeatedly slamming her face on the countertop. Vesemir quickly interfered by forcing the woman off Elsa.

"Leave me be," the woman shrieked as she escaped Vesemir's grasp. However, one of the soldier helmed men got and quickly shoved Vesemir back. Geralt quickly got and went to his teacher's aide.

"Stay here," the witcher told Ruby before she could say a word. The two other men from the table quickly got up and followed Geralt. Vesemir, meanwhile, showed his medallion to the helmed man.

"Recognize this medallion? You know what it means. So back off."

Geralt quickly walked past Vesemir to check on Elsa.

"You alright," he questioned, and the innkeep replied by giving a nod, still clutching her bloodied face. Geralt turned to see that the helmed man's companions had joined him. The helmed man then began to spout off accusations.

"They say witchers steal young'uns. That true? You plan on taking away that girl from her family? What'd the emperor promise you two? Your own land? Like he did to the elves once?"

"Get out, all of you," Vesemir warned, but the helmed man only smirked in response.

"We ain't going nowhere, and neither are you," he said as he and his companions drew blackjacks and swords kept on their belts. The witchers drew their swords in response.

"It looks like there's no way out now," Vesemir commented as he tightened his grip on his blade.

"I can see that," Geralt muttered as he waited for someone to make the first move. The man in the fur vest did so as darted forward and attempted to club Geralt. However, the White Wolf countered by quickly shoving into him and then stabbed him in the stomach. The fur vest man then dropped to the ground. The helmed man quickly rushed Vesemir, but the old witcher hit him with the flat of his blade. The helmed man was knocked back and crashed into a nearby table.

The other helmed man, armed with a blackjack, swung his weapon down at Geralt. The witcher countered with an upperward slash, and chopped off the man's arm at the elbow. The man screamed in pain before Geralt kicked him down to the ground. The bald man with sword ran up and tried to bring his blade down on Geralt's head. Geralt quickly parried the sword with his own, and then sliced into the man's side. The man dropped to his knees, and Geralt decapitated him with one swift stroke. The man's head landed near the woman who had assaulted Elsa, who was now on the ground. Geralt quickly sheathed his sword and approached the woman.

"It's alright. It's over," Geralt said as he extended his hand, offering her help up. The woman responded by quickly scrambling back.

"Leave me be! Get away," she shouted, fear evident in her voice. She then got up and made a beeline towards the exit. The two witchers then looked around the tavern at the destruction the fight had cause.

"See his face? Gods save us," a bar patron shouted. Another one vomited at the sight of the carnage and the smell of blood in the air.

"Be gone! And never return," Elsa shouted as she cowered behind her counter. Geralt sighed as he quickly realized how the patrons saw them. To them, they weren't heroes coming to the aid of a poor, defenseless woman. They were just two strangers who had butchered their friends and neighbors, people who they had known for years. Vesemir put a hand on his student's shoulder.

"So much for not getting involved. Let's get Ruby and head out."

The White Wolf nodded as they headed back to where Ruby was. The young huntress was currently in shock by what she just saw. She quickly turned to the two witchers as they approached her.

"Y-you were just trying to help. Why would they get mad at you for trying to help," Ruby mumbled as she followed them out of the inn. Vesemir put his hand on her shoulder as he reassured her.

"Things use to be much simpler, lass. Back in the past, it use to be that humans were good and monsters were bad."

"You must be getting senile in your old age, Vesemir," Geralt said as he turned to his teacher. "Things were _always_ this way."

The three stepped outside of the inn, only to be confronted four Nilfgaardian soldiers. They were armed with halberds and had swords sheathed on their sides. Their horses, which were black stallions, were nearby.

"That bar brawl in there? We didn't start," Geralt said, trying to defend himself before the troop. The sound of someone chuckling was then heard.

"Excuses, excuses… you've not changed one bit," a familiar voice said as the Nilfgaardian soldiers parted for the newcomer. Geralt's eyes widened as he saw the person.

It was a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties. She had curly, raven black hair that reached to her shoulders, and violet eyes. Her black hair contrasted her pale skin tone. She wore a black leather outfit with a white undershirt, along with black gloves and high heeled boots. Around her neck was a pendant featuring a pentagram. Lastly, the woman possessed the distinct scent of lilac and gooseberries. This woman was Yennefer of Vengerberg. The woman that Geralt was searching for.

"Y-yen? How," Geralt said, still surprised by her appearance. Yennefer then walked towards him.

"I received a report about a witcher who had appeared in White Orchard. It knew it was you, looking for me. I might've waited until you found me, but… you know me. Patience was never my strong suit."

A few moments of awkward silence passed as both the witcher and the sorceress thought to say next. Yennefer was the one to break the silence.

"It's… good to see you, Geralt. I'd… even embrace you, if you weren't covered in blood."

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you. To be honest, this isn't how I'd imagine we'd meet."

"How did you imagine it?"

"For starters, he didn't imagine you would have a Nilfgaardian escort," Vesemir said as he approached Yennefer. He extended his hand to her, and she shook it. The old witcher continued his explanation.

"Now don't get me wrong Yennefer. It's good to see you, but I do think you owe us an explanation."

Yennefer's gaze turned as she noticed Ruby, who was currently standing behind the two men. She cocked her head at the young girl.

"I don't think we've ever meet. Who are you suppose to be?"

"M-my name is Ruby Rose," Ruby explained nervously as she dug her heel into the ground. "You could say that I'm currently Geralt's traveling partner."

"Interesting," Yennefer said as she turned her attention back to the two witchers. "As for that explanation, I shall provide you one… in Vizima. Ready your horses."

Geralt crossed his arms as he replied to the sorceress, his voice now dripping with sarcasm.

"We can talk here. There's some charming orchards nearby. They're even in bloom, so you almost can't smell the corpses."

"Tempting proposition," Yennefer mused, before her tone changed into a rather authorial one.

"Sadly, I must decline. You see, someone is waiting for you in Vizima. Someone who doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Who?"

"Emperor Emhyr van Emreis… or, for those who are on more intimate terms with him, the White Flame Dancing on the Graves of His Foes."

Geralt raised an eyebrow at Yennefer's response.

"I doubt I number among that group. Far as I remember, the last time we meet, he wanted to kill me."

"Well, now he wants to make an offer to you."

"The kind you can't refuse," Vesemir questioned as he scratched his chin.

"I certainly didn't. Although I could have," Yennefer replied as she put her hands on her hips. Geralt sighed before he gave her his answer.

"Fine, I guess I'm willing to hear him out."

"The Emperor of Nilfgaard, Lord of Metina, Ebbing and Gemmra, and Sovereign of Nazair and Vicovaro, will feel _honored_ , I'm sure," Yennefer said dryly as she headed towards her horse. Geralt then turned towards his teacher.

"What about you?"

"I'm going in the opposite direction. I somehow doubt that the emperor's 'invitation' mentioned me. Besides, I've got things to do back at Kaer Morhen, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. Thanks for your help, Vesemir. See you soon," Geralt replied as the two witchers shook hands. Geralt then turned towards Ruby, who walked towards him.

"So are you still keen on traveling with me?"

"I am," Ruby replied cheerily as she followed Geralt to where Roach was. The witcher mounted the mare, and then helped the young girl up onto the horse. Geralt directed Roach to where Yennefer and the Nilfgaardians were. The entire group were now on their horses. Yennefer then looked over to Geralt.

"How's your horse? Swift?"

"I can't complain. Why do you ask?"

"I'd like to be back behind some thick city walls as soon as possible."

Geralt then waved goodbye to Vesemir. With that, the group then rode off towards Vizima.

"I've never rode a horse before," Ruby stated as she clutched Geralt's sides for support.

"Well, there's a first for everything," the White Wolf said as the group soon exited the village, and headed off onto the roads.

Next Time - Riders On the Storm

* * *

 **A/N:** Welcome to the second chapter of White Wolf and Red Hood! I'm surprised on the time between updates for this one, considering that my last time between updating fics was about eight months long.

Anyway, I was a bit nervous about writing this chapter, since I was afraid of screwing up Ruby's character. I'm actually confident on my grasp of Geralt's character, although I heard a lot of people say that he's kind of a hard character to write.

And I will admit that I stole the idea of Ruby figuring out she's not in Remnant by looking up at the moon from DovahCourier's _The Tale of Dust and Sand: A RWBY-Fallout: New Vegas Crossover_. It's a pretty good read, and I suggest that you all give it a look.

Anyway, don't expect another update soon, because for the time being, I'll be busy with college work. I plan to start writing chapter three once I'm done reading _The Last Wish_ (a collection of short stories that was the first of the Witcher books published). I own a copy of _Blood of Elves_ (the first book in the Witcher saga), and I plan to order a copy of _Sword of Destiny_ (which is another short story collection and the second Witcher book published).

Anyway, please leave a review or fave and follow if you want to. I'll see you all next update.


	3. Riders on the Storm

**Chapter 3: Riders on the Storm**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former belongs to Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red while the latter belongs to Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Path to Vizima, Northern Kingdoms]

The moon shined over head as the group made their way to Vizima. They had recently crossed a bridge and were now entering a small forest. Geralt and Yennefer rode alongside each other. Ruby, meanwhile, had fallen asleep some time ago. She currently was leaning on Geralt, her head resting on his back, and stirring a bit every now and then. Geralt, looking to make the trip a little less longer, decided to strike up a conversation with Yennefer.

"You know… I had a dream about you recently."

"Hm. Knowing you, it was probably filthy."

"Just the beginning. But then- "

Geralt was interrupted when a something strange began to happen. It began to _snow_. Snowflakes began to fall down to the ground at a rapid pace, and the air was now colder. Ruby then woke up from her slumber.

"Are we there yet," she asked sleepily, before she noticed the snowflakes falling.

"Oh! It's snowing! It looks really pretty!"

"Ruby, it's the middle of May," Geralt informed the huntress, his tone sounding worried. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He quickly looked over to the left and his eyes widened. Yennefer and Ruby followed his gaze, and they both gasped at the sight they saw.

Racing behind them were two riders on horseback. They were cladded head-to-toe in black, heavy armor. The chest plate of the armor resembled a human ribcage, and the faceplate of their helmets looked like a skull. Their horses wore similar, skeletal like armor. Their left hands grasped the reigns of their horses while their right hands held swords with jagged looking blades. Racing alongside them were hound-like beasts that look like they were made of stone and crystal. However, there was one thing that stood out above all. Following behind these riders was a giant wall of frost and snow that obscured everything behind them.

It was very clear who these beings were. These were the riders of the Wild Hunt.

Yennefer grasped her horses' reins and issued a single order.

"Ride! Now!"

"Hold on, Ruby," Geralt shouted as he whipped Roach's reigns, and the mare broke into a furious gallop. The group was soon riding at a breakneck speed, the thunderous sound of hooves echoing through the night. However, the Wild Hunt was hot on their trail. They were gaining up on them inch by inch.

Suddenly, one of the Nilfgaardian escorts near the rear was forced off his horse. His screams echoed through the night as he disappeared into the white wall. One of the Wild Hunt riders raced forward until he was side-by-side with another one of the soldiers. The soldier drew his sword and swung at the rider. However, the rider was quicker, and countered with a strike of his own blade. The blow was powerful and knocked the soldier off his horse. His life was ended when the hooves of the second rider's horse trampled on him.

The remnants of the group continued to ride on, Geralt and Yennefer whipping their reigns faster while Ruby clung to Geralt. Yennefer turned her head back to check on the remaining escorts. Both them were now dead and had fallen off their mounts. However, one of the soldiers had caught their foot in the stirrup, and was being dragged along by the horse.

Geralt and Yennefer continued to race along, trying to outrun the Wild Hunt. It seemed to last for an eternity, with the riders slowly gaining on them inch by inch. The party quickly turned a corner, and soon came face to face with a ravine, with a wooden bridge connecting the two sides together. Yennefer then outstretched her right hand and prepared a spell. Her hand began to glow with a white light. The party then dashed across the bridge. As soon as Geralt and Ruby safely made it to the other side, the sorceress let her spell loose.

White lightning shot forth from her hand and hit the bridge, destroying it into pieces. The first rider, who was unfortunate enough to be on the bridge, fell to his death. The second rider, however, stopped his mount at the edge of the ravine, preventing him from meeting the same fate as his comrade. The party looked back as they rode on, the rider soon becoming a speck in the distance. Geralt then looked towards Yennefer.

"Yennefer, how'd they-"

"We shall talk of this tomorrow, all right? After audience," Yennefer interrupted, still focused on getting to Vizima. Geralt sighed and decided to check up on his charge. He turned back and looked at Ruby. The girl had fear in her eyes and her breath was rapid, but it was beginning to slow down.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," Ruby said as she loosened her grip on Geralt. The witcher looked forward and saw the walls of Vizima in the distance. They would be arriving at the capital soon, provided that there were no more interruptions to sidetrack them.

* * *

[Yennefer's Study, Royal Palace in Vizima, Northern Kingdoms]

 _The Next Day…_

Ruby currently sat in a chair in Yennefer's study, reading from a book titled _A Miraculous Guide to Gwent_. She was currently wearing a black blouse with a black skirt. When she, Geralt, and Yennefer had arrived at the palace, the witcher had been separated from them. Yennefer had taken Ruby to her study, since she considered her to be her guest. A Nilfgaardian chamberlain (who came off as snooty) had given Ruby a change of clothes while her outfit was being washed. When she asked if they had anything with red in it, the chamberlain replied that the people of Nilfgaard did not care "for such garrish colors".

Yennefer had talked with Ruby over breakfast that morning, and the girl had explained her situation to the sorceress. Surprisingly enough, Yennefer had believed her, since she had known a person who could travel between worlds. However, the sorceress told her that she shouldn't tell everyone about her origins, since not everyone would believe her story.

Speaking of Yennefer, the sorceress had just walked into the room and looked at Ruby reading the book.

"Enjoying yourself," she asked as Ruby looked up from her book. She then gave off a smile.

"I am. This Gwent game sounds like a lot of fun!"

"I see," Yennefer said as she walked over towards a table that had several books and tomes on it. She began to read over one of the open tomes before Ruby's voice interrupted her concentration.

"Yennefer, I have to ask you something."

The sorceress turned and faced the young girl.

"What is it?"

"What were those things chasing us last night?"

Yennefer took in a deep breath before beginning her explanation to the young huntress.

"Those were the riders of the Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt are specters who ride across the night skies, acting as omens of misfortune and death."

"Have you encountered them before?"

"I have. They once abducted me, but Geralt made them an offer: he offered to serve in the Wild Hunt in exchanged for freeing me."

"Did they accept it?"

"I'm here alive, aren't I," Yennefer said as she turned back to her texts. After a few moments, she turned back and looked at the girl. There seemed to be something bothering Ruby, even if she didn't show it. Yennefer got up and approached the young huntress.

"Something troubling you?"

"Yes. It's something that happened when I first met Geralt and Vesemir. The innkeep got into an argument with someone and she got attacked. Both of them tried to stop it, but they got attacked and ended up killing them. I mean, Geralt didn't have to kill them, right?"

Yennefer let out a sigh. This girl was rather innocent, still unaware of how brutal this world could be. It was best if she told her now before she found out herself. With a sigh, she took a seat next to the young girl.

"I think I should tell you an experience that Geralt related to me. He was in Blaviken on unrelated business, when he encountered a group a bandits trying to coerce a sorcerer out of hiding. Geralt talked to the leader, and convinced them to leave the town peacefully. However, the next day, Geralt realized that the bandits had no intention of leaving. They were going massacre the townsfolk in the marketplace in order to force the sorcerer out. Geralt rushed to the marketplace and killed all of the bandits before they could enact their plan. He murdered seven bandits in order to save an entire town from death. He earned the title 'The Butcher of Blaviken' that day."

"Why… why are you telling me this," Ruby asked, feeling a bit unnerved by the story the sorceress told.

"It's to serve as a warning. You may be forced into situations where the only option available is to kill. And it's not a pleasant thing to do."

Before the conversation could continue, the two were interrupted by another voice.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Both of the women turned and saw Geralt, having entered the study. However, he was not dressed in his usual attire. The witcher was currently wearing an elegant black doublet with a white undershirt, black trousers, and black dress shoes. The shoulder area of the doublet was decorated with white and black stripes. However, the most notable change in his appearance, was his beard. Or rather, his lack of one. The witcher's face was now completely clean shaven.

"You weren't. And I have to say, you look absolutely smashing in that tunic," Yennefer commented as she turned her attention to Geralt.

"Ugh, I'm dying to take it off," he grumbled as he scratched at the sides of the doublet. Geralt then turned his attention to Ruby.

"Enjoying your stay in Vizima so far?"

"I've been keeping myself occupied," Ruby said as she set her book aside and walked other to him.

"Now that you're here, we can get down to business," Yennefer said as she led the two to her table of texts. She then turned and faced Geralt.

"Do you _now_ understand why I'm at Emhyr's court?"

"Mhmm. And it seems we're in the same boat now. Is Ciri really back? There's no chance that Emhyr's made a mistake?"

Yennefer simply gestured to a rough pencil drawing on the table. Both Geralt looked down at it. Drawn on the piece of paper was a young woman who looked like she was in her early twenties. She looked beautiful, with a fair looking face and hair that reached her shoulders.

"That's more or less what she looks like now, or so our agents claim. Our little witcher's grown into a young lady."

"I'm sorry for being out of the loop, but who's Ciri," Ruby asked as she looked down at the drawing.

"She's someone that I trained at Kaer Morhen. The girl's like a daughter to me," Geralt explained as he continued to look at the picture. "How about that, she's all grown up."

"A great deal has changed since the two of you trained together at Kaer Morhen," Yennefer said as the witcher focused his attention back to her.

"Well, you haven't changed a bit."

Yennefer chuckled at his comment.

"I miss those awkward comments of yours. But let's focus back to Ciri, alright?"

"Right. Emhyr said that the Wild Hunt's after her. I'd find that hard to believe – that is, before what happened yesterday. How did they track us?"

"Maybe they're really good trackers," Ruby said as she offered up a suggestion. However, Yennefer dismissed this idea with a shake of her head.

"They were able to track us down because of me. I've spent months looking for Ciri. I've used locating spells, haruspicy, geomancy spells… anything, really. I knew that the Wild Hunt would have sensed it, perhaps even find me. I thought that I tricked them."

"Well, guess you were wrong," Geralt commented as Yennefer continued.

"I've sensed them on my trial, hunting me, for some time. If it wasn't for you and Emhyr's soldiers, they'd have gotten what they were after."

The sorceress let out a sigh and turned away.

"I can't risk another encounter like that. So I've decided to put away the magic and return to more traditional methods…"

With that, Yennefer turned around.

"…and use the best tracker that I've known. You _must_ find her Geralt. Before the Wild Hunt does so."

Both Geralt and Ruby noted the urgency in her voice. Geralt did not need any more conviction. Ciri was like a daughter to him. He wouldn't let the Wild Hunt harm a hair on her head.

"So where do we start," he commented as Yennefer pointed to a map of the Northern Kingdoms. Geralt and Ruby shifted their attention to the map as the sorceress began her explanation.

"She's been spotted in two places – Velen and Novigrad. The trial in Velen looks the most promising. Make that your first stop. Ask for a merchant named Hendrik at the Inn at the Crossroads. He's one of the Emporer's agents, and he should get in contact with you."

Geralt raised an eyebrow at this. Contacting a spy of the Nilfgaardian Empire, in war torn land that hated said empire no less, could not be that simple.

"That's it? No passwords? No secret handshakes?"

"None whatsoever. Sorry to ruin your fun and your boyhood fantasies about the crafts of the trade. As for Novigrad, all we have to go on are rumors and unconfirmed reports. However, you will have the help of our mutual acquaintance – Triss Merigold. Aparently, she has a cozy flat on the main square."

"I'm sure she'll be delighted to see me," Geralt said as Ruby then entered the conversation.

"But what are you going to do, Yennefer?"

"I'm set to sail to the Skellige Isles. There was a magic explosion there recently that blew half a forest down. This might have something to do with Ciri. I'll be in Kaer Trolde. You should meet me there once you've learned something."

"Guess that means we have to split up again. Not my preference, but I understand that the clock's ticking.

"It is indeed. So why don't I teleport you to Velen, so you can get started at once."

Ruby noticed that Geralt seemed to flinch at the mention of teleporting.

"Not going to happen. I'll go by horseback, as soon as I can get changed."

"Have it your way. And I must day, you look quite dashing in black velvet."

"Think so? Maybe I can have some of my armor lined with it. Good luck, Yen."

"Same to you. And Geralt, I know that it's war time, but don't go off being a hero, alright? Just check the leads and come back to me in one piece."

With that, Yennefer have Geralt a quick kiss on the lips before walking off. She made a motion with her arms and a bursting sound was heard. A black and gold portal suddenly appeared in front of Yennefer and the sorceress stepped into it.

Ruby turned to Geralt as the witcher stared off into the distance.

"So am I going to stay here when you're out doing your search?"

"No, you're coming with me. Ciri's your best chance at getting back home."

"How so?"

"When we first meet, Vesemir and I mentioned we trained someone who had the ability to cross between worlds. The person we trained was Ciri. If we find her-"

"Then I can get back to Remnant," Ruby said as she put two and two together. She suddenly jumped forward and wrapped Geralt in a hug. The witcher honestly didn't expect her to do this.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. We still have to find Ciri," Geralt said as he tried to pry the young huntress off of him. Ruby got what he was trying to do and soon stopped hugging him.

"So when will we leave?"

"As soon as I get out of this damn thing and get my equipment back from the chamberlain," Geralt said he picked up a book from the table and looked at it. Said book was titled _The Wonders of Zerrikania_.

"But they're still washing my clothes. I can't exactly help your search in this, can I?"

"Fine. We'll leave once we get your outfit back," Geralt muttered as he took a seat, focusing on reading the book.

"Alright," Ruby said before noticing something on the table. She went over and picked it up. To her surprise, it was a spare Gwent deck. Specifically, it was suite of the Northern Kingdoms. She took a seat across from Geralt and showed him the deck.

"Do you want to play a round of Gwent to pass the time? I read up the rules while you were meeting with the Emperpor."

The witcher gave a shrug and took out his own deck before he began to shuffle it. Both of the player drew ten cards from the deck and then began their match.

* * *

 _One hour later…_

The sun was beginning to set on the city of Vizima. Its citizens were either going back to their homes or heading off to taverns to get an after work drink. However, two people were riding out of the city on horseback.

These two riders were Geralt and Ruby, riding off on the witcher's faithful steed Roach. Geralt was now back in his familiar armor, with his swords and crossbow mounted on his back. Ruby was dressed back in her out with her familiar red cloak draped across of her shoulders. However, there was one addition to her attire. Going from her shoulder to her hip was a leather strap that held a sword on her back. Said weapon was Geralt's spare steel sword, which had stopped using once he had acquired the steel sword of the School of the Viper. The weapon was a bit too big for the young huntress to use. However, she had to make do with it for now.

The two of them rode off towards Velen, to begin their search for the Child of the Elder Blood.

Next Time - Back on the Path

* * *

 **A/N:** And here's Chapter 3 of White Wolf & Red Hood. I know that this took some time to get out. I've been pretty busy with college work for the past month or so, and I've distracted with Xbox in my free time (I beat _Deus Ex: Human Revolution_ and _Dishonored: Definitive Edition_ in that time). But I was able to work on this when I had the time.

And I should mention that the little tale that Yennefer tells Ruby isn't something that I made up. The tale is essentially a bare-bones version of _The Lesser Evil_ , the third story told in the Witcher anthology _The Last Wish_ (and a must read if there's any fan of the games who wants to get into the book). Yen's version of the story cuts out a lot of the details, such as the history between the wizard Stregobor and the leader of the bandits Renfri (who is a former princess). Still, I recommend that you guys go out and get yourself a copy of _The Last Wish_ , since it's a really good read.

Also, I'd like to give a shout out to DovahCourier, who helped me a bit with the Yennefer and Ruby scene.

Anyway, please leave a review with your thoughts on the chapter, since I really do appreciate feedback. Don't forget to fave or follow, and I'll see you all next update.


	4. Back on the Path

**Chapter 4: Back on the Path**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former is owned by Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red, and the latter is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Outskirts of Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

The witcher and the huntress had traveled a few days until they had crossed into Velen. The two had decided to stop for the night, and made camp in a nearby forest clearing. The sun had just set and the night skies were beginning to approach. Roach was hitched to a nearby birch tree, and set up near the campsite were a pair of bedrolls. Ruby was currently sitting on a fallen log, waiting for Geralt to return. The witcher had gone off to collect firewood.

"Did he get lost," she wondered aloud as she adjusted the sword on her back. Her question was soon answered when Geralt appeared in the clearing, carrying an armful of boughs. The witcher set his firewood down, and wordlessly constructed a campfire in front of Ruby. Said campfire was formed in the shape of a square, with kindling in the center of said square.

Geralt then casted _Igni_ on the campfire, and a stream of embers emerged from his hand. Within a few minutes, a roaring campfire had formed in front of him. Ruby perked up at this as Geralt warmed his hands on the fire.

"What did you just do?"

"I used _Igni_. It's one of my witcher signs."

"Witcher signs?"

"Simple magic spells that witchers can use."

Geralt nearly jumped back when Ruby let out an ear-piercing squee of excitement and wonder. The witcher looked up at her, who was staring back with an enthusiastic look and a starry-eyed gaze. She than began to talk animatedly to Geralt.

"You can use magic? That's so cool! What else can you use? Can you teach magic to me? Please?"

Geralt let out a small chuckle at Ruby's behavior. It frankly reminded him of an excited puppy. The witcher answered Ruby's questions as he walked over to Roach.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to teach you. Only witchers are capable of using these signs. And only a selected people in this world are capable of using magic."

Geralt rummaged through one of Roach's saddlebags until he found what he was looking for. He then returned to the campfire with their meal for the evening. Said meal was rather simple, consisting of bread, fried meat, water, and a baked apple. He handed Ruby her meal before taking a seat across from her. He took a bite out of his bread, chewed, and swallowed it before continuing his explanation of witcher signs.

"Asides from _Igni_ , I can use five other signs. First, there's _Aard_ , which is just a telekinetic thrust of magical energy. Then there's _Quen_ , a magic shield that forms around and protects me. Next there's _Yrden_ , which is a trap that slows anyone who enters it. After that is _Axii_ , a hex that stuns someone into a state of lull. Lastly, there's _Heliotrope_ , which acts as a buffer against physical or magical attacks."

Ruby listened on intently, devouring her meal as she did so. She quickly finished the bread and meat, and stated on the baked apple. She had saved that one for last for dessert. After Geralt had finished his explanation, the two continued to eat their meals in silence. However, after five minutes, Ruby broke said silence.

"Can you tell me your experiences fighting monsters?"

Geralt cocked an eyebrow at this as he took a drink of water.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I'm guessing you've been around for a long time. You must have some interesting stories to tell."

Geralt scratched his beard and thought about this for a moment. He then made his decision.

"Fine, I have a story to tell. It's about the first monster I encountered."

Ruby leaned in closely as Geralt cleared his throat and began to tell his tale.

"I was a young man when I completed my training at Kaer Morhen. I'd earned my medallion, the sign of my trade, and went out into the world on a horse I named Roach. I had my two swords, my enthusiasm, my conviction, and my faith. Faith that I was needed in a world of monsters to protect the innocent. I always wondered about encountering my first monster when I was training. And that moment arrived one day when I was traveling on the road."

"What was it? Was it a griffin? A troll?"

"No, nothing of the sort. My first monster was bald and had exceptionally rotten teeth. He was armed with an axe and lead a group of fellow monsters, all army deserters. When I came across him, he and his gang had stopped a peasant's cart. He'd pulled a girl from the cart, who was around 13 years old. His men restrained her father while he tore off her dress, telling her that it was time she met a real man."

Ruby blanched as she heard the last part, utterly shocked that people would do this to one another.

"Th-that's horrible!"

"I know. I rode up to him, got off of my horse, and told him that the time had come for him as well."

Ruby let out a giggle at this part.

"Yeah. I thought I was very witty at the time, and it felt like the right thing to say. Anyway, the bald monster released the girl and charged at me with his axe. He was slow but tough, and he fell with two strikes of my sword. The rest of his friends ran off when they saw what a witcher's steel could do to a man."

Geralt let a sigh before he continued on.

"At the time, I thought things would go like in those tales I heard about. The father would be grateful and thank me, and the girl would give me a kiss as a sign of gratitude."

Ruby leaned in at this part. Maybe this story would end like those stories Yang read to her when she was younger. Everything would end happily, and everyone would sing praises of the brave and valiant hero. She then spoke her mind.

"Did it end like you thought it would?"

"No, the reality is much, much different. The father had gotten scared and ran off. The girl was drenched in the bald man's blood, and was hysterical. She soon threw up and fainted in fear when I approached her. For some time, I just stood there, feeling awkward at what happened. After that, I brought the girl to a nearby inn, and paid for her stay there. I then got back on Roach, and rode on."

Ruby contemplated Geralt's tale as the witcher let out a sigh. The tale's ending reminded her of something Blake once told her, that "the real world isn't like a fairy tale". She found it interesting that at one point in his life, Geralt was a bit like her. However, the man sitting across from her was anything but. Geralt was jaded and world weary, and possessed the look of someone who was whittled down by his years on the earth.

The fire continued to crackle as Geralt finished up the rest of his meal, eating the last bits of meat and bread. He topped it off with a mouthful of water.

"I think it's time we turned in. We have a lot of traveling a head of us tomorrow," the witcher commented as Ruby replied with a nod.

"Good night, Geralt," Ruby said as she went over to her bedroll. She wrapped her cloak around herself like a makeshift blanket and soon drifted off to sleep. However, Geralt continued to watch the fire as it began to die down. The witcher's thoughts turned a dream he had recently had.

The dream was a scene he remembered from many years back. It was when Ciri was a young girl undergoing her training at Kaer Morhen. He remembered those times fondly. However, the dream had quickly turned into a nightmare when the Wild Hunt arrived and took her away from him. He had a feeling that the dream was a sign of things to come. And with Yennefer revealing that the Wild Hunt sought his daughter, he knew it was correct.

The campfire quickly died down into embers, and only then did Geralt turned in for the night.

* * *

[Hanged Man's Tree, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

 _The next day…_

The sun was high in the noon sky as Geralt and Ruby rode on. Roach began to whinny as the two passed by a notable landmark in Velen, the Hanged Man's Tree. Said tree was a dead, withered looking thing, and, like what its name suggested, had several people hanging from the branches on nooses. Their heads were covered with sacks of cloth. A flock of crows had gathered at the tree, and soon dispersed at the sound of Roach's whinnying.

Ruby shuddered at the sight of the dead bodies. Geralt, meanwhile, ignored it and looked at a nearby sign post. It said that the Inn at the crossroads was just down the road.

"Well, we're almost there," Geralt said out loud as he moved Roach forward. On both sides of the road they were on were fields filled with muck and dead grass. The two road down the hill, with Roach going at a canter. Within ten minutes or so, they arrived at the Inn at the Crossroads. However, it less of an inn and more of a small settlement. It was surrounded by a ten-foot-high fence. There was an entryway with a sign that read "The Inn at the Crossroads". When the two travelers entered the gate, they got a good look at the inn. To the right of them was a long rectangular shaped building, with a small stable and a notice board nearby. To the left were two small houses. Geralt and Ruby dismounted and hitched Roach to the stables. A black cat was napping on the inn's window sill. However, it hissed and bolted away once it caught site of Geralt.

The inn was mostly empty, with only a few people loitering in the back of it. The two quickly approached the bar, where the innkeep was. The innkeep was a man in his forties, with a black beard and a white cloth covering his head. He wore green shirt with a brown apron, and was currently cleaning a tankard.

"How can I help ye," he asked as he saw the two approach him. Geralt was the one who answered his question.

"We're looking for a man who goes by the name Hendrik. Have you seen him?"

"What you want with 'im," the innkeep questioned as he inspected his handiwork on the tankard.

"Wanna talk to him."

"What about?"

"It's private," Ruby said as she butted in, and the innkeep responded with a shrug.

"You two going to order anything?"

"Sure. Give me a bottle of something strong," Geralt said as the innkeep replied with a nod before turning to Ruby.

"And for you, lass?"

"Milk," Ruby chirped as the innkeep took out two wooden glasses. He grabbed a bottle of Mandrake Cordial and filled the first glass. He then took out a pitcher of cow's milk from underneath the bar and poured it into the second glass. He pushed the two glasses forward, and the two accepted it. Ruby took a drink of her milk while Geralt took in the aroma of his drink before taking a sip.

The sounds of rushing hooves were soon heard from the outside. Two of the patrons near them suddenly got up and left. The innkeep gained a look of fear in his eyes as he addressed Geralt.

"You have to go! I'll open the back way for ye!"

"We haven't finished our drinks yet," Geralt commented dryly as Ruby looked at the inn's doorway, glass of milk in her hands. Three men, dressed in armor, walked in. The leader of said group wore a green tunic with a metal breastplate and gauntlets, and a brown cap on his head.

"Innkeep! Vodka," the leader barked as he and his men walked into the inn. However, one of the men, who was bald with a beard took an interest in Geralt.

"Who's this 'un?"

"Brave warrior, looks like. Got two swords, see," the third man, who had a mustache commented as he took a seat. "Don't why the likes of 'im are doin' with a little lass, though."

The leader of the group focused his attention on Geralt.

"Oi, gray boy! What's the point of havin' two swords?"

Geralt didn't answer as he took another sip of his drink.

"Wonder if he keeps an extra prick in his trousers, too," the mustachioed man mused as the leader began to get impatient.

"You fuckin' deaf? You gonna say who you are, or do I need to loosen your tongue with me knife?"

Geralt picked up on the obvious threat of violence from the leader. He let out a sigh and decided to sate the man's curiosity. It would at least get them to stop bothering him and Ruby.

"I'm a witcher. Heard you were wondering about my swords. Well, one's for monsters, the other – for humans. Only got one prick, though. In case you were wondering about that, too."

The leader, who was initially curious about Geralt, now began to treat him like he was diseased.

"Don't touch 'im. Don't even _look_ at 'im. Worse than lepers, that lot."

"Saw one in action, once. Killed half a dozen, blood everywhere – freak didn't even show a drop of sweat," the bearded man commented as the leader returned to their table.

Geralt didn't react as he heard the slander that went his way. Ruby, however, looked on in shock. They were treating Geralt as if he weren't even human. She heard of this kind of discrimination before from Blake, but to see it in person was a different experience.

"If you're looking for a place to rest, then come with me," the innkeep said as he left the bar. Geralt and Ruby quickly downed the rest of their drinks before following the innkeep to the back, far away from the men. As soon as they were out of sight, the innkeep turned and addressed Geralt.

"Thanks for not startin' a row with those swine," he said as he took a seat and motioned for Geralt and Ruby to do the same.

"Well, I don't generally poke my nose into other people's business."

"Who do those guys work for? They don't look like soldiers," Ruby asked as the innkeep answered her.

"They work for the Bloody Baron. He currently rules Velen ever since the Imperials broke through. But enough about him. Are you two lookin' to stay for the night?"

Geralt replied with a shake of his head.

"No. Like I said earlier, we're looking for Hendrik."

"Well, he lives up in Heatherton."

"Don't know where that is."

"It's on the other side of the hill. Looked that way this mornin' and saw a strange glow. It looked like the Imperials were on the raid, but who honestly knows."

"Is there anything else you can tell us about Hendrik," Ruby asked as the innkeep scratched his beard in thought.

"He's an odd fellow. Arrived from who knows where for no apparent reason and hooked up with a widow."

"I'm surprised he's survived this long. The baron's men don't like strangers," Geralt commented as the innkeep continued on with his explanation.

"That's why he stays out o' their way. He always seems to know when they're comin', and he always manages to disappear."

"You have my thanks," Geralt said as he handed a small pouch of crowns over to the innkeep, who then pocketed the money. The witcher and the huntress quietly went out the inn's back entrance and walked over to where Roach was. Geralt unhitched the mare, and mounted her. He gave Ruby a lift up onto the mare, and the two rode out of the Inn.

"Does everyone treat you like that," Ruby asked Geralt as Roach trotted down the road at a steady pace. Geralt answered her as he steered the mare down the roads.

"Some of them do."

"But why? Asides from your hair and eyes, you look normal!"

"Witchers are different from everyday people. During our training, we undergo the Trial of the Grasses, in which we're find an alchemic concoction. The process changes our physiology, making us stronger, faster and more durable than humans. We gain immunity to any and all diseases, enhanced senses, faster healing, and expanded lifespans. However, there's downsides to it. We're sterile, incapable of having children of our own. People treat us with hatred and fear because of what we've been turned in to."

Ruby remained quiet after hearing Geralt's explanation before speaking up again.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You've only just arrived here. You had no way of knowing."

"How have you dealt with people mistreating you?"

"I've been around for a long time, Ruby. I've gotten use to it."

Their two's conversation was cut short when they arrived at Heatherton. However, they were taken off guard by the sight of the village, with Ruby widening her eyes and Geralt blinking in surprise.

The entire village was covered in snow and frost, and a thin layer of mist surrounded the villages. The entire place looked abandoned, with no signs of life around. Geralt got off of Roach and helped Ruby down as well.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Geralt said under his breath. As soon as he did, however, he then picked up a sound. It was the sound of barking and growling. The sound that belonged to dogs and wolves.

"Ruby, draw your weapon. We have company," Geralt said as he drew his steel sword. Ruby grasped her hands on the hilt of her sword, and, after some struggle, managed to get it out of the sheath. She followed after Geralt, who had tracked down the source of the barking. Near one of the houses of the village were three rabid and mangy dogs. They currently surrounded a scrawny and frightened villager, who was trying to fend them off with a torch.

Geralt rushed forward at the hounds and casted _Aard_ with his free hand. A blast of magic erupted from his hand a sent the dogs flying a few feet away. One of the dogs quickly recovered from the spell and leapt forward at Geralt, trying to bite him. The witcher quickly dodged out of the way and finished the hound off with a two quick swipes of his sword. Geralt's eyes quickly saw what looked like rose petals in the air as Ruby rushed forward to the two remaining dogs, having activated her semblance. She slashed the first dog across the abdomen before finishing off the second one by plunging her sword into its belly.

With the threat taken care of, Geralt turned his attention towards the villager. The man looked frightened out of his wits, and was still waving his torch around.

"Be gone! Leave me be! Get away!"

The man fell to the ground and tried to scramble away from Geralt, only to find his back pressed against the house's exterior.

"Calm down, it's over," Geralt said as he casted _Axii_ by making three gestures with his hand. The image of an upside down triangle appeared briefly as the spell took its effect, and the villager soon regained his composure. The man walked over to the center of the village and sat on a bench before speaking to the witcher.

"Aye, it's over. All's past, never to be restored. I'll not forget what happened here."

"We're looking for a man named Henrik. He's supposed to live here," Geralt said as Ruby rejoined him, still trying to sheath her sword.

"Aye, he did, but no longer is. They nabbed 'im over that hut," the villager explained as he pointed over to a small house near the entrance of the village. The man's face gained a haunted look as he continued on.

"If you'd o' heard the cries, sir… if you'd o' heard how a man can scream… how he can suffer."

"Tell me what happened here, step by step," Geralt said as the villager began to recount the events.

He told of last evening, when the air grew deadly cold in the evening and the toads stopped singing their songs. That was an early sign of the riders of the Wild Hunt, who arrived in their black armor covered with frost. He told them of how they went into Hendrik's hut. He did not know what they exactly did. Whatever they did caused the merchant to scream and beg until all he could do was moan. The last thing the villager remembered was the Wild Hunt dragging off the rest of the villagers.

"Just wonderful," Geralt said under his breath as the villager finished his experiences. Ruby, on the other hand, stood in shock as she heard the villager's tale.

"The terrors weren't here long, but the froze the village froze like in the night of winter."

"Were you in that hut when they rode off?"

"No. And I'll not set foot there. Not ever."

"Farewell, and peace of mind to you," Geralt said as he walked off towards Hendrik's hut. Ruby got out of her stupor and caught up to the witcher.

"What are we going to do now?"

"We're going to search Hendrik's hut. He has to have some notes pointing to Ciri's whereabouts," Geralt said as he opened the door. Ruby stifled a gasp at the sight within. On the floor was Hendrik, or rather, his corpse. The corpse was bloodied, its eyes bruised, and every inch of its skin was covered with frostbite. Geralt got on one knee and inspected the body.

"They tortured him, the poor bastard," he muttered as Ruby looked over to the adjacent room of the house. She saw an old, worn out rug in the middle of the room, specifically, an outline under said rug. She grabbed a corner of the rug and quickly pulled it off. Underneath the rug was a cellar door with a lock on it. Ruby turned to Geralt as the witcher looked at her discovery.

"Is there a key on him," the young huntress asked as Geralt looked back at the corpse. Going off by a hunch, the witcher pulled off the dead man's boots. A soft clank was heard as a key fell out of the left boot and landed on the floor. Geralt picked up the key and walked over to the cellar door. He lifted the cellar door open and climbed down into it, Ruby following after him.

The cellar was rather spacious, with a small wall dividing the room into two sections. The first section was surrounded with crates and barrels. Mounted on a post was a poster with a drawing of a young woman on it. Underneath the was a message that read "MISSING. Tamara Strenger, daughter of the Bloody Baron! Presumed kidnapped. Hearty reward for whoever finds or brings her in.".

The two then walked into the other side of the room. This room appeared to be a makeshift study. In it were a cabinet, an open chest, a bookshelf, and desk and chair. The room was lit by a candle sitting on the desk. Ruby went over to the chest and peered within. She quickly pulled out a medium-sized pouch from the chest and opened it up.

"There's a whole bunch of crowns in here," Ruby exclaimed as she grabbed a few of the coins from the pouch.

"Keep it. Hendrik won't be needing it anytime soon," Geralt commented as he saw a nearby torch mounted on a wall. With a quick snap of his fingers, he casted _Igni_ and the torch immediately lit up. Geralt then noticed something underneath the torch. It appeared to be a switch of some sort. The witcher flipped the switch, and the bookcase immediately swung open, revealing a hidden compartment with a chest inside. Geralt walked over to the chest noticed something of interest in it. He pulled said item out, revealing a leather-bound book.

"What's that," Ruby asked as Geralt sat down by the desk and began to flip through the book.

"It's a ledger. And from the look of things, Hendrik was posing as a merchant."

Geralt then noticed something as he inspected the entries of the ledger. Hidden between each of the entries were notes. The witcher had to admit that was rather clever. He read the notes as Ruby looked over his shoulder. The first note described how Ciri was spotted in both Novigrad and the Skellige Isles, and how her appearance had remained unchanged. The second entry talked about how Ciri had meet Bloody Baron, who had appropriated a fort called Crow's Perch as his base of operations. It appeared that Henrik was going to meet with the baron. The third entry talked of Ciri encountering a witch who lived near the village of Midcopse. Said witch was familiar with the local peasantry. The fourth and final entry talked of how Henrik felt he was being watched.

Having finished his reading, Geralt closed the ledger and set it aside.

"So what did it say," Ruby asked as Geralt got up from his seat.

"Somehow, the Wild Hunt learned that Hendrik was looking for Ciri, thus the torture. We have two leads now: The Bloody Baron, and some witch."

"So which lead do we start with," Ruby asked as she followed Geralt up out of the cellar, and out of the house.

"Our best bet would have to be with the Baron," Geralt said as he brought two fingers to his lips and whistled. After a few moments, Roach rode up to them. The witcher got on the mare and then looked down at Ruby.

"I see you've been having problems with my sword."

"Yeah, well, it's just that I usually fight with a scythe."

"You mentioned that you built your scythe yourself, right?"

"Well, my uncle came up with the blueprints, but I built myself."

"Tell you what, once we find a blacksmith who's willing to let you use his forge, we'll break that sword down and use it to make a scythe," the witcher said as he helped Ruby up. The young huntress beamed at Geralt's proposition. However, her excitement turned to puzzlement.

"Wait, can't you just teach me how to fight with a sword?"

"A witcher's sword style takes years of practice to learn. I need you to fight at the best of your abilities, and getting you a scythe is the better alternative."

"Oh, alright," Ruby said in realization as Geralt directed Roach to the exit of the village. At Geralt's urging, the mare quickly went into a gallop and raced off down the roads towards Crow's Perch.

Next Time - The Bloody Baron

* * *

 **A/N:** And here is White Wold & Red Hood Chapter 4! I'm honestly surprised at the update speed between these chapters. I began writing this chapter on Sunday, and actually managed to finish writing all of it today. Usually I take forever when writing chapters due to either procrastination or school work.

And another little trivia note, Geralt's story about his first monster encounter also comes from _The Last Wish_. Specifically, his story comes from an interlude between _The Lesser Evil_ and _A Question of Price_ (the book having a framing device of Geralt recovering at a temple). Said interlude has Geralt giving a monologue about himself to a temple girl named Iola (who cannot speak due to a vow she took). It was rather interesting to read.

And for those of you who are bummed out about Ruby not having Crescent Rose with her, worry not! Crescent Rose's replacement will be debuting next chapter. It may not be as fancy as Crescent Rose (due to the Witcherverse's rather limited technology level), but it will serve her well in the fic. And said weapon wouldn't be out of place in _Bloodborne_.

In other news, I picked up my copy of _Dishonored 2_ today. I admit that I'm enjoying, although I sort of suck at the first few levels (I'm doing my first play through as Emily Kaldwin, BTW). I admit my suckiness may be due to the fact that I've been rather tired as of lately. Still, fun game so far!

Anyway, please leave a review with your thoughts (since I appreciate feedback), and don't forget to fave and follow. I'll see you all next update!


	5. The Bloody Baron

**Chapter 5: The Bloody Baron**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former belongs to Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red, and the latter is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Near Crow's Perch, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

Geralt grunted as he thrusted his silver sword into the face of a nekker. The witcher turned around and saw three other Nekkers charge towards him. With a wave of his free hand, he casted _Igni_ at them. A wave of flames erupted and hit the three nekkers, causing them to screech as they set aflame. The witcher turned towards Ruby, who had quickly decapitated a nekker with her sword.

"That's the last of them," the witcher said, as he sheathed his silver sword. The two had been sidetracked when they had been attacked by a pack of Nekkers. Roach had gotten frighten at the sight of the creatures and manage to throw the two off her. Nekkers were dangerous creatures, especially when they were gathered in packs. However, they were made short work of by Geralt and Ruby. The former had decades of experience in fighting monsters, while the latter had fought the Grimm, creatures that nekkers paled in comparison to.

Geralt brought two of his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Roach then suddenly trotted out into the clearing. The witcher walked over to the mare and reached into her saddlebags before finding what he was looking for.

"What are those," Ruby asked as she finally managed to sheath her sword. Geralt held up the object he had found. It was round and was roughly around the size of a tennis ball, and was wrapped in cloth and rope.

"It's a bomb called Dancing Star. It'll help us destroy the nekkers' nest," Geralt replied as he approached a large mound made out of dirt and bones. The mound also had a large hole in the middle of it. Geralt dropped the bomb into the nest, and motioned Ruby to stand back. Dust and dirt erupted from the mound as the bomb went off, and the next was soon set ablaze.

With that done, Geralt went over to one of the nekker corpses and got down to one knee. He then took out his knife and went to work on scavenging alchemy ingredients. In about a minute, the witcher managed to cut out a few of the nekker's body parts (namely its eyes, teeth, and heart). He then went on to extract a mutagen from the body. Another minute or two passed before Geralt had finished his work. He gathered up his ingredients and then placed him in Roach's saddlebag. Ruby looked at the small, green-yellow object he had in his hand.

"What is that," she asked as Geralt put it away. The witcher then gave his explanation as he got on Roach.

"It's a mutagen, material gathered from monsters. I use them to make my decoctions."

"Decoctions?"

"Decoctions are like my potions, but are much more potent. They use a monster's mutagen to temporarily give me special abilities. The downside is that because of their potency, they're more toxic than usual."

"So you don't use them often," Ruby said as she got on Roach's back.

"Correct. I still carry them around, though. It's better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them."

Geralt steered Roach back to the main road, and they went back on their path. They continued along for awhile, passing by houses that had been deserted or abandoned. The ride went on in silence for several minutes before the two encountered another obstacle.

Standing in the middle of the road was a man in his 20s. He had slicked back black hair and wore a blue gambeson with a brown belt. On his belt was a scabbard that held a simple steel sword. The man then approached them with his arms crossed.

"Halt! Stand and duel! I challenge!"

Geralt stopped Roach in her tracks and looked at the man. He specifically looked down at his boots, which were a size too big.

"Boots a bit big, maybe? Careful not to trip," Geralt commented as he tried to move around the man, but he refused to let them through.

"Halt, I say! I am Ronvid of the Small Marsh, bound by a sacred oath-"

"Oh, that's rough. You have my sympathies," Geralt said, sarcasm evident in his voice. The now named Ronvid did not pick up on said sarcasm, and continued his speech.

"-to honor Maid Bilberry, fairest of all maidens I know, by dueling a hundred knights to the death. Now draw your sword, posthaste, for I've ninety-nine left after you!"

"…is this guy for real," Ruby said blankly as she stared at Ronvid. Geralt simply sighed in annoyance. He had run across knights a few times before, but this Ronvid acted nothing like one. His way of speaking came off as way too theatrical. The witcher doubted that Ronvid had any skill with his sword. That gave him an idea.

"Listen, I'll have you fight my companion instead," the witcher said as he gestured towards Ruby. The young huntress double-taked at what Geralt said.

"Wait, what?"

"She's out of practice, and could use the match."

"Very well, I shall challenge your apprentice" Ronvid said as he draw his sword. Ruby got off Roach and looked up at Geralt.

"Do I really have to do this," she asked as Geralt let out a sigh.

"Yes. As soon as we indulge him in his little fantasy, the sooner we can get to Crow's Perch."

Ruby turned towards Ronvid and took the sword off her back. Ronvid smirked as he held his own blade in a two-handed grip.

"Have at you," he shouted as charged Ruby with an overhead swing. However, Ruby swiftly dodged his blow and responded with her own, nicking him on the nose. Ronvid quickly dropped his sword and grasped his now bleeding nose.

"Ah! I yield! I yield!"

"Are you okay," Ruby asked as sheathed her sword, concerned about what happened to her opponent."

"Yes. Looks like luck stood with you, young lady. B-but the next time we meet-"

"There won't be a next time," Geralt said as he got off of Roach and walked over to Ronvid, before speaking to him.

"Go back to Maid Bilberry and apologize for being an ass. Make it quick before I change my mind."

"W-we shall meet again," Ronvid said as ran off, his sword in one hand and his other hand grasping his bleeding nose. Ruby turned to Geralt, puzzled by everything that has transpired.

"Well… that was a thing."

"Let's just get to Crow's Perch," Geralt muttered as he got back up on Roach. He helped Ruby up on the mare and the two headed back on the road. A few more minutes of traveling passed by in silence. The witcher and the huntress soon arrived to their destination.

Crow's Perch rested on a very large hill. The most notable thing about the keep was a large building made of maroon red brick on the very top of the hill. The building was surrounded by a palisade. On the lower part of the hill were several small wooden houses with thatched roofs. This section was also surrounded by a palisade. Surrounding the hill was a moat that had most of its water gone. The only way to get into the keep was through a long, wooden bridge. The bridge was guarded by two men dressed in gambesons. One was armed with a halberd while the other was armed with a crossbow.

Geralt hitched Roach to a nearby tree and went across the bridge, with Ruby following him. The guards gave them a look as they passed by. They soon found themselves inside of the walls, where peasants were going about their day. The two travelers then went on the path that lead towards the red brick building. A little boy was playing near the road, and saw Geralt as he passed by.

"Your eyes! They're like me kitty cat's," he exclaimed as the witcher walked passed him. Geralt and Ruby soon went pass the gateway that separated the peasants from the red brick building. They turned up hill to the gate they lead to the building, which were guarded by two men armed with swords. One of the guards, who was rather fat, approached Geralt.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

"The baron home," Geralt asked as he stopped in his tracks.

"Depends on who's asking."

"A witcher. Need to talk to him."

"Yeah, and I wanna plough the lovely Queen Cerro."

The second guard, who wore a helm and had a mustache, spoke up.

"I've seen these two before. The Inn at the Crossroads. You were there not too long ago. Thought you two were suppose to go your separate way, nice and all."

"My separate way lead us here. Like I said, I have to talk to the baron."

"Oh, aye? What about?"

"Something important. For his ears only."

The mustachioed guard considered this for a moment before shrugging.

"Fine. Lodrin, let 'em in. If they make any trouble… well, we outnumber 'em."

The fat guard nodded and turned towards the entrance.

"Open the gate," he shouted as the sound of a chain rattling was heard, and the gate was then drawn open. The mustachioed guard then shouted out again.

"Sergeant! Ardal! A witcher and a little lass are here to see the baron."

Geralt and Ruby walked through the gate as the fat guard spoke to Geralt.

"Don't want no disturbances, is that clear?"

"What do you think," Geralt muttered as a guard approached the witcher and the huntress. The man was in his 40s, and wore an iron breastplate over a red tunic with brown boots and steel gauntlets. With a movement of his fingers, he motioned them to follow him.

"Guard called you a sergeant. You a Temerian soldier," Geralt asked as they walked along.

"None of your concern, mate."

"You a deserter?"

"The Temerian Army don't exist no more."

Ruby suddenly stopped in her tracks as something caught her eye. In the right corner of the area they were in was a forge. A dwarf wearing a white bandana was there, hammering an axe on an anvil. Near him was a young woman with blond hair that was working on a set of armor. She then noticed that she was lagging behind, and quickly sprinted to catch up with Geralt. The guard then led them through until the reached a specific section.

It was a garden, surrounded by various flowers of colors and species. In the middle of the garden was a stone table with two stone benches by it. Sitting on one side of the table were two soldiers, both dressed in the black and gold armor of the Nilfgaardian Army. The one sitting on the left appeared to held a high ranking position in the army. Sitting across from them was a rather rotund man dressed in red. Near them was a maid currently sweeping away.

The red man was currently speaking, his voice loud and boisterous.

"In Vizima - now those were balls! Attended a few, me and my Annie. Oh, how we danced! How we twirled!"

The man in red suddenly got up and began to dance with the maid, ballroom style. The maid was caught off by surprise by this, but did not resist.

"One-two-three, one-two-three, wayhey," he cheered a she continued to dance. The Nilfgaardian officer, however, was not amused by the man's antics. He then got up from his seat.

"Enough. I don't care how you do it, but the deliveries must be weekly."

"Won't you stay for tea?"

"No. Besides, you've got another guest," the Nilfgaardian officer said as he got up and left, his entourage following him. The man turned around, and Geralt and Ruby got a good look at the man.

He was very large and stout, and looked to be in his 50s at the very least. A grey beard covered his entire face. He wore red robes with a few pieces of armor, including a breastplate and a pair of bracers. Near his right shoulder was a small shield-like emblem that had a checkered pattern on it. Across his chest was a leather strap that had a knife in it. Completing his ensemble was a pair of boots.

From the way he dressed, this man was the Bloody Baron, the self-proclaimed ruler of Velen, and currently, their best bet at finding Ciri.

Geralt and Ruby approached the Baron, was currently looking at a kettle and two cups set on the table.

"Look at that, didn't even stay for tea. In spite of all of their blabberin' about cultured their nation is…"

"Well, rumors rarely find confirmation in reality – especially the ones about foreigners," Geralt replied, and the Baron chuckled at his remark.

"Haha! Right you are."

Geralt prepared to introduce himself, but the Baron interrupted him before he could get off a word.

"I know who you are. Believe I also know why've you come."

The Baron then turned his gaze towards Ruby.

"But I haven't heard of you ridin' around with a little lass dressed in red."

"I'm traveling with him," Ruby said as the baron gave off a shrug.

"Alright. We'll talk inside."

The Baron then began to walk towards the main building of the keep. Geralt and Ruby turned to follow him.

* * *

[The Baron's Study, Crow's Perch, Velen]

The Baron lead the two inside of very spacious room. The walls were made of red brick just like the outside of the building It was brightly lit by a fireplace, and said fireplace had two wooden chairs and a small table near it. On the other side of the room was a large desk with a chair, and behind in the desk was a small table with various books and items on it. The walls of the room were decorated by various paintings and pictures. In the cornor of the room was a pile of various crates and sacks.

"Make yourself at home," The Baron cheered as he looked around the room.

"Now, where did I put the bloody vodka?"

After a minute or so of searching, the Baron finally found a large, green-colored bottle, which he then picked up, along with three glasses.

"Would you like a drink, lass," the Baron asked as he offered a cup to Ruby.

"I'm okay," Ruby said as she declined his offer. The Baron poured two of the glasses and offered one to Geralt.

"Why not," the witcher said with a shrug before taking the glass. The Baron, meanwhile, began to fill up his own glass.

"You're a man after me own heart, witcher. Hm, with Foltest dead and Natalis' whereabouts unknown, - bloody hell, who's a loyal Temerian to drink to these days?"

"Himslef and his company?"

"Good enough."

With that, the two raised their glasses and then downed them. Ruby, meanwhile, decided to help herself to a glass of cider. The Baron then took a seat at his desk.

"Now, to the matter at hand. I'm Philip Strenger, though the blobtits 'round these parts call me the Bloody Baron."

"Geralt of Rivia. Blobtits call me the Butcher of Blaviken."

"I'm Ruby Rose and… I don't have a nickname," Ruby said as she finished her glass of cider. The Baron chuckled at Ruby's comment before going back to his conversation with Geralt.

"Like I said, I already know who you are. Truth be told , that's the only reason why we're talking. How do you like it here in Velen?"

"Lovely place. Swamps, bogs, marshes everywhere," Geralt said sarcastically as the Baron replied with a nod.

"Exactly. Someone loses their way 'round here, he becomes damn hard to find."

"What are you getting at?"

"Many have lost their loved ones around here. Some their wives, others their daughters…"

"Get to the point already."

"Ciri. That's why you've come, isn't it?"

Geralt put both of his hands on the table and leaned forwardly in interest.

"So she _was_ here."

"She showed up some time ago – exhausted, wounded, and stinkin' like a soaked hound after a hard hunt."

The Baron then looked towards Ruby.

"Have a seat, Lass. You're in for quite a tale."

Ruby than sat in the chair in to Geralt as the Baron began his story. Ciri had found her way to the forests of Velen. She had found a little girl named Gretka and guided through the woods, and eventually killed a werewolf plaguing the forest known as the King of Wolves. A villager who had been attacked by the King of Wolves led Ciri and Greta back to Crow's Perch.

"What happened next," Geralt asked as the baron relaxed in his chair before replying.

"Ahh, topic for another time."

Ruby did a double take upon hearing the Baron's reply.

"Wait, what?

"I take it you aren't giving this information for free," Geralt said as the Baron leaned forward in his chair.

"Hehe, sharp you are."

Ruby began think back to the poster she saw in Hendrik's hideout. The one that said that Tamara Strenger was missing. She then put two and two together, and a realization hit her.

"You want us to find your daughter."

"Heh, you're a bright lass, aren't you? I propose an exchange – you find my wife and daughter, and I'll give you all about the girl that you seek."

Geralt grunted before giving his answer.

"Fine, we'll help you. But then you'll give me every bit of information that you have."

"You have my word," the baron said before he whistled. With that, the door opened and a bearded guard stepped into the room.

"Guard! These two are under my protection. No one's to bother them in any way."

The guard nodded in reply before leaving. Geralt and Ruby simply stared at the Baron, who raised his hands up defensively.

"Don't stare – I've not grown horns. Treat it as a sign of my good will."

"Mr. Strenger, I have a request to make," Ruby said as she got up from her seat. The Baron raised an eyebrow at this.

"What do you need, lass?"

"Can I use your forge? I plan to break down more sword here and use it to build a scythe. I can even pay you with some money I found."

"Hm, don't know why a girl like you would be interested in smithing, but why the hell not? Just don't burn down the place, lass."

Ruby cheered at this and then went off towards the forge. Geralt then decided to get down to business.

"When did you see them last?"

"They vanished after the new moon, as if whisked away by the shadows."

Geralt raised an eyebrow at the Baron's answer.

"What do you mean 'vanished'?"

"Precisely that. I awoke one morn to find them gone."

Geralt sighed in frustration. He needed _something_ to go on.

"I'll need to know a lot more than that. Can I see their rooms?"

"What for?"

"I need clues. Something to latch onto."

The Baron frowned as he heard Geralt's request.

"I'll not let a stranger paw through their belongings!"

"Do you want me to find them or not?"

"…I do."

"Then let me work."

"Fine. But I'm going with you. The doors are locked."

With that, the Baron got out of his chair and lead Geralt out of his quarters. The witcher followed him, closing the door behind him.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Ruby quickly rushed down the stairs of the building and then began to sprint when he feet touch the ground. She soon find herself outside of the forge, with both the dwarf and the young woman staring at her in confusion. Ruby then noticed them giving her looks.

"Is there something wrong," she asked as the dwarf, named Fegrus Graem, answered.

"Nothing. It's just that I never seen a lass your age run that fast."

"Oh, alright. Anyway, I'm here to use your forge. And before you ask, I got the Baron's permission."

Fergus raised an eyebrow at this, skeptical of what a girl like her knew about forging weapons and armors.

"What does a little lass like you know about smithing?"

"I'll have you know that I've built a weapon all by myself. Well, it was my uncle's design, but still built it."

"Fergus, just let her use the forge," the woman, named Yoana, said as she hammered down a freshly made breastplate. Fergus sighed and turned towards Ruby.

"I suppose you have payment for the materials you're going to use?"

"Will this do," Ruby asked as she pulled out the pouch of crowns she recovered from Hendrik's hideout. Fergus immediately took the pouch and pocketed the money. Taking that as a yes, Ruby withdrew her sword and handed it to Fergus.

"I need this sword to be broken down into some ignots. And I need you to spare some silver ignots as well."

Ruby then rolled up her sleeves, and went off to work.

* * *

[Phillip and Anna Strenger's Bedroom, Crow's Perch]

 _Some time later…_

Geralt stared at a painting in front of him. It was a painting of the Baron and his wife, when they were both much younger. When the witcher had entered their room, he had noticed a few things out of place due to his enhanced senses. First, there was a wooden candlestick that had its stem broken off. Secondly, a section of the wall, which was shaped like a rectangle, was a different color. That could only mean that something use to hang there. That lead him to inspect the painting, which was about the right size as the wall square.

"Hm, they look happy enough," Geralt commented as he grabbed the painting and took it off the wall. As he set the painting down, he saw that there was a notable hole in the wall.

"Got to wonder who wanted to hide the hole… and what's on the other side."

Geralt then walked to the other side of the wall, where a wardrobe was. He opened the doors of it and looked inside. There were no clothes in it, but something did caught the witcher's eye. It was a piece of wood that looked like it belonged on a candlestick.

"Hm, now this is interesting. Piece of wood looks like the stem of that candlestick. No coincidence there."

Geralt pondered things for a bit before coming to a conclusion.

"A fight might've happened here. Ought to look for more clues."

Geralt walked away from the wardrobe and went over to a nearby desk, which was a next to a post. He then noticed what looked like scratch marks on the post.

"Deep nicks. Must've been hit with a heavy object."

The witcher then went back over to the table where the candlestick was. He then looked down on the floor, and saw the rest of the candlestick. However, he then noticed something else. Dark spots stained both the table and the floor around it.

"Wine stains. Looks like someone smashed a bottle," he commented as he rubbed two of his fingers on the stain and then sniffed them.

"Hm. It's from Toussaint. Erveluce, to be precise. The scent hasn't died. Wonder where it'll lead me to."

Geralt walked out of the room and into the hall, following the scent into the other end of it. He entered through a door where the scent was leading him to. He then found himself what looked like a small study, surrounded with two bookshelves, a desk and chair, a fireplace, and a cabinet. The witcher first opened up the cabinet, and searched it. There were only two items in it: some incense, and an old, worn down key. Geralt took the key and pocketed it, having a feeling that it might open something within the room. He then stopped as he caught another scent in the air.

"Anise, sandalwood, and something else. Saffron, perhaps?"

Geralt then followed the new scent and left the room, walking down the first flight of stairs. Unfortunately, the trail went cold. However, something on the floor caught his eyes. It was a round, wooden object around the size of his palm, with intricate designs carved onto it. Geralt picked it up and then inspected it.

"Hm. It's made out of spruce wood and smells like juniper incense. It's some sort of folk talisman that offers protection. The question is: against what?"

Geralt pocketed the talisman and went back up the stairs to over where the Baron was. He was currently sitting on a bench, smoking a pipe.

"Done pokin' around," he asked as he took another drag on his pipe.

"I found signs of a fight in the room. Know anything about that?"

"A fight? What're you talkin' about?"

"Someone was attacked – probably your wife or daughter. Whoever it was tried to defend themselves with a candlestick. They missed the attack and punctured the wall instead."

The baron hesitated for a moment before answering, shock in his voice.

"I… I don't know nothin' about this. That night, I was drunk. I don't remember a thing. They were gone by the time I awoke."

"That explains the Erveluce then. I doubt you were the only ones in the castle. Maybe one of your men heard something?"

The sounds of anger and frustration entered the Baron's voice as he answered Geralt's question.

" _Three_ times I asked those bastards if they'd seen anythin' or heard anythin'. Nothin'. Not one of 'em."

"Hm. Anyway, do you recognize this amulet," Geralt asked as he took the talisman out and showed it to the Baron. The Baron looked at it for a bit before replying.

"Yes. Anna began wearing it some time ago."

"Any idea where she got it?"

"None."

"Any witches or cunning women in the area?"

"There's a pellar. The old coot lives near Blackbough. And there's a cunning woman in Midcopse, but I know little about her. She's only recently arrived. If Anna were to see someone, she'd choose to the pellar, not the woman. She was wary of strangers and newcomers."

"I guess I'll have a chat with this pellar," Geralt said as the Baron got off of the bench.

"Fair warning, he's a hard man to talk to. Rumor has it he killed his own father with an axe as a lad, then went batty. Now they say he sees ghosts and ploughs his goat."

"Not really interested in his hobbies. I just want to ask about the amulet. I'll see you later."

Geralt then went down the stairs and walked across the hall before he went through the exit of the building. He had been investigating the rooms for some time, since the soon was now setting in the sky. Geralt then spotted Ruby over at a grindstone, sharpening something. The witcher went down the stairs and approached the girl, who stopped her sharpening.

"Hi, Geralt," she greeted as she got up from the grindstone. "Did you have any luck on your end?"

"Yeah, I found a good lead that might show us where the Baron's wife and daughter are. What about you? You manage to make that scythe of yours?"

"Yup," Ruby said as she showed off her handiwork. She then picked up the scythe and showed it off. The shaft was around six feet long, and made of rosewood. The blade was three feet long, and was colored dull gray. However, there was a certain glint to the blade. There appeared to be small pivots on where the blade meet the shaft and in the middle of the shaft. Ruby grabbed the lower part of the shaft and with quick movement of her hands, the blade and shaft suddenly folded down. It was now in a form that was much more easy to carry. Geralt looked doen at the weapon, impressed by Ruby's weapon.

"With craftsmanship like that, you'd probably run every blacksmith in the Northern Kingdoms out of business."

"Thanks. The blade's made out of a steel-silver allow. The steel makes it strong and durable, and the silver makes it effect against monsters. Now what to name it?"

Geralt raised an eyebrow at Ruby's last comment.

"Why a name?"

"It gives it a connection on a more personal level," the young huntress replied as she looked down at her new scythe. All in all, the weapon reminded her of her Crescent Rose, only it lacked the sniper rifle portion of it. It was like it was smaller. Inspiration suddenly hit her.

"I know! I'll call it Rosebud."

"Hm, nice name," Geralt commented as he walked off, with Ruby following him.

"Are we going to follow up on that lead you found?"

"No, we're going to find some work first."

Ruby stopped in confusion at this.

"Huh? But why? Don't you have enough money?"

"We have many expenses to cover, Ruby. There's potions ingredients, repair and maintenance of my swords and armor, and food. And now I'm covering for two people. My pockets aren't lined as of now, so I need to do any job that I can find."

"Oh, alright," Ruby said as the two now found themselves in front of a notice board. Various flyers hanged from it, ranging from announcements to job offers. Geralt's eyes began to scan the board.

"Now, let's see what work we can find."

Next Time - Armor and Shriekers

* * *

 **A/N:** Welcome to the latest chapter of White Wolf And Red Hood.

And this chapter debuts Ruby's placeholder scythe, Rosebud. I have two fellow authors to thank for helping me with its creation. The first thanks is for DovahCourier, who suggested that the blade be made of a silver-steel hybrid. The second goes to CleverPervertedPriest, who suggested the name for the scythe. I'm very grateful for the help.

And Ronvid of the Small Marsh makes an appearance in this chapter. I would compare him to Don Quixote, but that would just be plain insulting to Don Quixote. Another shoutout to DovahCourier, who suggested that Ruby be the one who fights and defeats him (and Ronvid usually goes down in a couple of sword strikes in the actual game).

Anyway, I've recently published a new fic, _Into the Great Wide Open_ , a _Fallout: New Vegas_ / _RWBY_ crossover. I suggest you check it out and leave a review since I appreciate feedback.

And now comes the bad news. My finals are in two weeks, and my time will be devoted to cramming for them. So don't expect any new updates from me until after December 16th.

Please fave and follow this fic, and don't forget to leave a review (since I _really_ appreciate feedback). I'll see you are next update.


	6. Armor and the Shrieker

**Chapter 6: Armor and the Shrieker**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former is owned by CD Projekt Red and Andrej Sapokowski, and the latter is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Crow's Perch, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

Geralt and Ruby walked towards the forge of Crow's Perch. The witcher had found two contracts to take on, along with a notification about a fist-fighting competition happening around Velen. The sun had now set, and the moon was now glowing over the land. Fergus noticed the two approaching and turned to them with his arms crossed.

"How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for someone who can craft me some armor. Has to be top quality," Geralt said as Fergus took in his request.

"Well, I've been at it for twenty years, now. Mastered the craft in some respect, if I do say so myself."

"You wish," Yoanna muttered as tanned a deer hide. Fergus shot an annoyed look at her before turning back to his potential customers.

"Don't listen to her. She's been sore lately, snortin' every chance she gets. So, what kind of armor were we talkin' about?"

"It has to be light, but durable, can't constrain any movement, and I have to be able to get in and out of it without anybody's help," Geralt explained, as he Fergus looked on is amusement. The dwarf then laughed as Geralt finished off the requirements for the armor.

"That's all? Sure it shouldn't be self-cleanin'? And how about it wipes your arse after you take a shite in the bushes?"

Geralt let out an annoyed sigh at Fergus's reaction. His requests for the armor didn't sound that unreasonable.

"No, I just need it to be strong and durable. That's all."

"Oughta know one thing when it comes to armor: if it's gotta be durable, it can't be light."

Yoana took this moment to put in her two crowns as she finished tanning the hide. The girl then walked over and addressed Geralt and Ruby.

"It can. It just needs the proper tools to make it. Tools like the folk of Todarroch used on Undvik."

Fergus turned around and addressed the girl, annoyed at her interruption.

"Yoana, I told you time and again to stay silent when I talk to customers. Shouldn't pester folks with those nonsense Skellige legends o' yours."

"Don't dismiss her! I think she may be onto something," Ruby said as she spoke up, allowing Yoana to explain the tools of the Todarroch clan.

"The tools ain't legend, and they ain't nonsense. My granddad would go over to Undvik for his armor. He said that the Todarroch folk made the best. 'Til last year, that is, when a giant ravaged their island. The inhabitants either ran off or died, but the forge should still be in one piece."

"So it _isn't_ a legend," Ruby exclaimed as Geralt contemplated the girl's story, his hand on his chin.

"It's worth looking into. Say if we find the tools, will you craft the armor for me?"

"On the condition you bring the tools, but only then," Fergus said as Ruby asked Yoana another question.

"Did the legends your grandfather told you mention where the forge was?"

"Aye, north side of the isle, in a cave. Clan folk carved out a rock face to build it."

"We'll look for the tools the next time we're in Skellige. Take care now," Geralt said as he turned and left the forge, with Ruby following after him.

"So what are we going to do now?"

"We're turning in for the night. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," the witcher said as he went other to the main building of Crow's Perch and went up the stairs. The two went into a room that the Baron had provided them with. It consisted of two beds, a night stand, and a desk and chair in the corner. A candle on the nightstand lit the room. Geralt took the bed on the right, taking off the harness containing his swords and crossbow and putting it aside.

Ruby took the bed on the left, setting aside Rosebud by the nightstand and taking off her cloak. She then got under the covers as Geralt put out the candle with an _Igni_ spell.

* * *

 _The next day…_

Ruby woke around mid-morning, stretching as she got up. She looked around to see Geralt sitting at the desk. He was currently grinding something with a mortar and pestle. On the desk was his box of potions, several of which had been replenished. Next to the box were a few bombs, which were differentiated by the color of its casing. Geralt finished his grinding and turned to look at the young huntress.

"Good, you're awake. Breakfast is over on the nightstand."

Ruby turned to the nightstand and saw a small plate on it. On the plate were two slices of bread, a few cooked sausage links, and an apple. Ruby took her breakfast and started to dig into it.

"So what are we doing today," Ruby asked between mouthfuls as Geralt poured the powder he had been grinding into an iron capsule, before wrapping the capsule with cloth and string.

"We have a contract to take care of. Finish up eating, and we'll get some supplies from the quartermaster."

Ruby replied with a nod as she took a large bite out of her apple.

* * *

 _15 minutes later…_

The witcher and the huntress walked across the courtyard of Crow's Perch, and over to where the quartermaster was. Ruby currently wore a leather strap attached to a leather belt. Mounted on the strap's back was a holder for Rosebud. It made carrying around the scythe much easier. The two arrived at the quartermaster's table, which was right over where the forge was. The quartermaster was a man in his early 30s, with a shaved head and a brown beard. He wore a worn white apron over a green tunic, with brown trousers and black shoes. The quartermaster then noticed the two approaching them.

"What do ye want," he asked as Geralt spoke up.

"Looking for a new crossbow and a carrying bag. What do you have?"

The quartermaster got out of his chair and went over to his stock. After a few minutes of rummaging, he returned with two items. The first was a leather rucksack with a single sling, and the top was secured by drawstrings. The second was a crossbow, made from much more finer materials than Geralt's current one. The stirrup of the weapon was forked, and on the weapon was the golden sun emblem of Nilfgaard.

"One deer hide rucksack, and one Nilfgaardian made crossbow. That'll be 250 crowns."

Geralt reached into his coin purse and then tossed the quartermaster a small bag of crowns. The quartermaster pocketed it and give the two their purchases. Geralt handed the rucksack over to Ruby, who shouldered it over her right shoulder. The witcher then took off his old crossbow from his harness and replaced it with his new one.

"Take this," Geralt said as he gave his old crossbow to Ruby. The young huntress looked at the weapon with interest. It was a bit bigger in her hands.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"You said you used a projectile weapon back home. Something called a sniper rifle, whatever that is. I thought a crossbow would be an adequate replacement," Geralt said as the two walked down the path.

"How does it work?"

"It operates the same principle as your sniper rifle. Just pull back that crank and load in a new boat after you've fired it."

Ruby smiled as she mounted the crossbow on her harness, right next to Rosebud. This would take some time to get use to, but it would serve its purpose.

"So what kind of contract are we doing, Geralt?"

"Well, here it is," the witcher said as he handed Ruby a flyer he took from the noticeboard. Ruby began to read the flyer aloud.

"'Let it hereby be known that whoever kills the shrieker, the monster that's wove its nest near Crow's Perch and has taken to killing both men and beasts, will be given a sizeable reward.' What's a shrieker, Geralt?"

"Don't really know. Locals usually give different names to different kinds of monsters."

The two entered out into the small village of Crow's Perch, and approached a hut with a bench outside. Sitting on the bench was a middle-aged man with shoulder-length grey hair. He wore a light blue shirt with white pants. He was currently carving a piece of wood. The man went by the name of Chet. Geralt cleared his throat to get Chet's attention.

"Yeah?"

"We heard you had a problem – a monster you called a shrieker?"

Chet took in a breath as he explained things to the two.

"Aye, prowls about, it does. Snatches cows and goats, mostly, but it won't scorn a man if it runs into one. Borzoy, huntsman under the old lord, well, he said enough's enough. He claimed he would put a stop to it and drive the beast away."

"Go on."

"Took a hatchet, laid in ambush for the shrieker beyond the moat, where the fields start. It's where we found 'im, guts stretched o'er the crown of a tree like gossamer. Took half a day to collect the parts and put 'em in a grave."

Ruby turned pale at the graphic description of Borzoy's death. On the other hand, Geralt was impassive. The witcher then answered Chet.

"High time a professional took a look at this shrieker. Is there anyone around here who knows more about the beast?"

"Borzoy's boy Symko does. Saw the horror with his own eyes. But… ye might find the lad hard to chat with. Still mourns his father, me thinks."

"Where will we find him?"

"At me homestead. I took the tyke in when he lost his dad. The mother passed long time ago."

"I see. Thank you," Geralt said as he and Ruby walked around to the back of the house. A boy, around the age of ten or so, was sitting there, drawing in the dirt with a stick. He got up when he saw the two approaching him.

"Leave me be," he shouted at the two, who then began to approach more slowly.

"Calm down. We just want to talk," Geralt said as he got down to one knee, looking at the boy in the eye.

"Go I said!"

Ruby then decided to approach Symko and get him to cooperate.

"Look, we want to avenge your dad's death. But we need to know what killed him first."

"Shrieker killed him! Don't you know!"

"Yeah… but we don't know what a shrieker looks like. Can you describe it for us?"

"Somethin' like a rooster… but huge… with a lizard's tail."

Symko became more frantic as the memory of his father's death came rushing back to him. Tears started to well up on his eyes.

"I-I-I heard Ruffler barkin' in the woods. Ran to see what he were on about. There were dad… in the bushes, a hole through his belly! And he were moanin'! Screamin'! I wanted to help! But how could I!? How!?"

Geralt held up his hand and attempted to cast _Axii_ in order to calm him down. However, Ruby beat him to it as she placed her hands on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright. Don't worry, we'll take care of the Shrieker. And then he'll be at peace."

Symko was calmed by Ruby's words. With that, the two of them left the house and started to head over to where Roach was. The two unhitched the mare and went over to where the attack was.

"So do you have any idea on what we're up against?"

"Symko described it as being a rooster with a serpent's tail. We're mostly likely dealing with a cockatrice. That or a basilisk."

A spark of excitement entered Ruby's eyes as she heard Geralt's answer.

"Oh, I've never seen a cockatrice before! What are they like?"

"They prefer to live in dark places like caves or abandoned buildings, and they're also aggressive predators."

"I heard that they can kill someone with their gaze."

"That's actually a misconception. A cockatrice's gaze is about as deadly as an angry goose's gaze."

"Then what makes them so deadly?"

"They're about as ferocious as a harpy and they hit like a golem."

"Ah."

The two soon arrived at an opening near the fields where Chet said the attacks happened. Geralt got off Roach and helped Ruby down. The witcher then opened up one of Roach's saddlebags and motioned to Ruby.

"Hand me your bag," the witcher said as he held out his hand. Ruby was confused by what he wanted, but complied, taking the bag off of her shoulder. Geralt took the bag and filled it with a few things from the saddlebag,namely some of his potions, three bombs, and a bottle filled with an oil that was colored forest green.

Geralt then handed the bag back to Ruby who looked inside of the bag with interest.

"Wait, why are you making me carry your stuff," Ruby asked as shouldered the bag.

"I don't have enough room to carry potions on my person," Geralt said as he took two additional bombs out of the saddlebag and strapped them to his left hip. He then turned towards the field.

"Now, let's see what happened to our cockatrice."

Geralt went other to the first thing that caught his attention. Ruby followed and stifled a gasp at what the witcher found . It was corpse of a dog, which had blood splattered on it. Geralt got on one knee to inspect it.

"Muzzle's caked in blood. It didn't give up without a fight."

Geralt then turned to the next thing that caught his attention. A foot or so to the right of the dog were a set of claw-like tracks. It was obvious that these tracks belong to the cockatrice. The witcher looked closer at them as he noticed something off about the tracks.

"Tracks're irregular here. The monster must've started staggering. It was wounded, most likely."

The two then followed the tracks until the they reached the beginnings of a river bank. In front of them was a red stain. Geralt scraped some of it off of the ground and sniffed it.

"Blood. Monster blood."

Ruby looked forward and saw more bloodstains, each of them spread out by at least two or three feet. She smiled at this.

"And it looks like it left us a trail."

Geralt responded with a nod as he got up. The two then followed the blood trail, climbing over a small hill, and still stuck close to the river bank. After three or four minutes, the two found the cockatrice's lair. The lair was in a small cave under a hill. On top of the hill were the remains of an abandoned building. Geralt bent down and picked up an item near the entrance of the cave. It was a rather large feather with a green plumage.

"That confirms it. It's a definitely a cockatrice. Ruby, hand me the draconoid oil."

"Is this it," Ruby asked as she brought out the bottle of oil. The witcher took it from her hands and then unsheathed his silver sword. He then began to apply the oil to the blade and finished when there was a green sheen to the sword. Geralt then got up and walked into the cave. Ruby followed him after putting away the draconoid oil.

"So where's the cockatrice," Ruby asked as Geralt took out an unlit torch. With a simple cast of _Igni_ , the torch was lit and their surroundings were now illuminated. Ruby then looked down at the ground. She let out a yelp and fell to the ground. She and Geralt were standing on the remains of skeletons, a puddle of blood, and severed, bloody body parts. She quickly gathered her bearings as Geralt looked around the cave.

A noise then echoed through the cave, sounding like a cross between a screech and a rooster's caw. Geralt looked over to the source of the screech, which came from an edge that lead further into the cave.

"Hm, it hid here, and it looks like it won't be leaving any time soon. We're going to have to smoke it out."

"So are we going to start a fire?"

"Something similar to the sort," Geralt said as he took one of the bombs from his belt. This one was called Dancing Star, and would produce a fiery explosion when thrown. Geralt tossed the bomb onto the ledge, and it exploded. Flames spread from the ledge, briefly illuminating the room, and slightly rocked the foundation. However, the cockatrice didn't come out like expected.

"Where is it," Ruby questioned as Geralt started to rush back to the cave entrance. Ruby noticed she had been left alone and then rushed to catch up with the witcher.

"Hey, wait up! What's the hurry?"

"The cockatrice must've fled through another exit. We have to nab to before it gets away."

The two then reached the mouth of the cave, and Geralt quickly looked around for any signs of the creature. The witcher then caught sight of a winged creature in the sky, flying away from the cavern.

"There it is. Won't get away this time."

"I've got it!"

"Ruby, wait," Geralt shouted, but it was too late. The young huntress used her semblance to speed off after the cockatrice. Geralt let out a sigh as he sheathed his silver sword and whistled. Roach came galloping up, and the witcher mounted her. He then speeded off towards the cockatrice's direction, hoping to stop Ruby before she got hurt.

Geralt took the crossbow from his back and aimed it at the cockatrice, hoping to hit in one of its wings. He let the bolt loose, but missed as the cockatrice went in for a dive. The witcher soon arrived at where the cockatrice had landed. Ruby was nearby, standing with Rosebud at the ready.

The cockatrice could be described as being very similar to a griffin. However, while a griffin had a mammalian body, the cockatrice had a reptilian one. Like what Symko said, the creature had a rooster like head, with a dull red crest and similar colored fins running down its spine. Iit had a lizard-like tail, and a great wingspan of blue-green feathers, complete with talons.

The cockatrice lunged towards Ruby with its talons, but the girl dodged out of the way with a burst of her semblance. She then swung Rosebud, and it struck one of the beast's wings. Geralt got off of Roach and casted _Aard_ at the cockatrice, hitting in the face. He then swiftly drew his silver sword and striked it in the maw. Geralt rolled out of the way of the cockatrice's next strike.

Geralt contined to back up until he was a good distance away from the beast. He then pointed out his free hand and casted _Igni_. A wave of flame hit the beast, and it screeched at the intensity of the heat. Ruby decided to take advantage of the distraction and raised Rosebud in the air. With one fluid motion, the scythe went down and its blade pierced the cockatrice's right wing. The beast screeched in pain and turned its attention to Ruby.

"Geralt, I don't it can fly now," Ruby shouted as she tightened her grip on Rosebud. The witcher responded with a nod as he grabbed the second Dancing Star bomb on his belt. He threw it at the cockatrice, and it the bomb went off under its head. It went out another screech and the fire burned its face.

Ruby vanished in another burst of her semblance and reappeared right on top of the beast's neck. She quickly twirled Rosebud until the blade was right under the cockatrice's neck. She then delivered the killing blow by pulling the blade up. The cockatrice's head fell to the ground with a thud and the body collapsed. Ruby jumped off the body as Geralt sheathed his blade.

"Well, that went better than expected."

"Next time, don't go running off like that," Geralt reprimanded in a rather stern voice. Ruby frowned at the witcher's words.

"Sorry. You said we had to catch it before it got away, right?"

"Hm. Well, other than that, you did well for your first monster hunt," the witcher said as he put two fingers to his lips and whistled. Roach then came trotting over as Geralt approached the cockatrice's carcass, a knife in his hands. Ruby walked over to the mare as the witcher began his work on scavenging parts from the cockatrice."

* * *

 _One Hour Later_ …

Geralt and Ruby went into Crow's Perch on Roach, the mare trotting along at a steady pace. Bound to her saddle was the head of the cockatrice. The two stopped a few yards away from Chet's house. They both got off, Geralt taking the head of the Cockatrice with him. Chet was still sitting on his bench, and noticed the two approaching him. Geralt dropped the cockatrice's head in front of him.

"Shrieker won't trouble you anymore."

"Thank you, master witcher," Chet said as he reached into his trouser pocket and took out a bag of crowns. He then offered the bag to Geralt.

"Your reward. 'T ain't much, but as they say, 'take care of the pennies'."

Geralt stared at the bag of coins with a thoughtful look in his eye. He then gently pushed back the man's hand.

"Keep the coin. You took in an orphan, and need it more than I do."

Chet smiled as he put away his money.

"And they call witchers unfeelin' and inhuman. Well, I thank ye – from the bottom of my heart."

"So long," Geralt said as he and Ruby walked off. The girl smiled at Geralt's act of kindness. Her hunch about him was right: underneath his stoic exterior was a man with a sense of honor.

"How often do you turn down reward for contracts?"

"I've only done it once before, back in White Orchard."

"Really?"

"Hm-mm. Happened a bit before I found you. A contract was put up to rid a haunted well of a noonwraith. When I came back to the man who put up the contract, he offered me the reward. He said that he was going to use the money for his daughter's dowry. I told him to keep the money, and to just give me a toast at her wedding."

"Ah. So what are we going to do now," Ruby asked as the two got back onto Roach.

"We're heading off to Toderas. It's a village west of here," the witcher said as he steered the mare towards the entrance of Crow's Perch.

"Any reason why?"

"There's another contract being offered there, so there's another chance for us to make some coin."

Ruby hummed in understanding as Geralt directed Roach down the path to Midcopse.

Next Time - The Giant of Toderas

* * *

 **A/N:** And here's the newest chapter of White Wolf & Red Hood.

Here, we have the beginning of the Master Armourer quest line. However, this plot will only be revisited a few dozen chapters down the line (or however long it takes to complete the Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige Isle arcs of the fic).

Another thing to note is that Ruby will be carrying around a bag full of some of Geralt's supplies. I admit that inspiration comes from _Bioshock Infinite_ (awesome game, hoping to get the _Bioshock Collection_ for Christmas), where Elizabeth would keep Booker supplied with money, ammo, and Salts.

And I should note that this chapter and the next will be adapting some of the monster contracts into the fic. I should note that I won't be adapting every single side quest and monster contract into the fic. Otherwise, it would be well over a hundred chapters long, and suffer from pacing issues and arc fatigue. But if there's one monster contract you want to see adapted into the fic, let me known in a review.

And I've finished my finals, along with my first semester at Ball State University, this week. I now have three weeks full of free time, which I plan to spend binging Netflix (namely _The Walking Dead,_ _Jessica Jones_ , and _Luke Cage_ ), playing Xbox, and doing more writing. I even have a few one shots that I plan on publishing. And I shall begin my winter break by seeing _Rogue One: A Star Wars Story_ tomorrow with my brother.

Anyway, please leave a review (since I appreciate feedback), and don't forgot to fave or follow. I hope you all have a Happy Holidays, and I'll see you next update.


	7. The Giant of Toderas

**Chapter 7: The Giant of Toderas**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former is owned by Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red, and the latter is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Geralt's Campsite, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

The campfire roared in front of the witcher and the huntress, illuminating the night around them. They were currently having dinner, which consisted of a capon that Geralt had bought from a merchant from Crow's Perch and bread. Geralt was currently making a decoction out of a mutagen that had recovered from the cockatrice's corpse. Ruby was reading a book titled _Take Care of Your Sword, Soldier_ while finishing up the remaining bits of her meal. Geralt poured a bottle of Dwarven Spirit into a small pot, which contained the boiled down mutagen. He then put in some grounded down crow's eye and began to stir the concoction.

"What's the next contract on," Ruby asked as she peered down from her book and popped another piece of chicken into her mouth.

"It's on a giant," Geralt answered, not bothering to look up from his work.

"Really?"

"The contract didn't say much. It only said that the giant was plaguing Toderas, and that they're offering 300 crowns for its elimination."

"Are giants common around here?"

"No, they're very rare nowadays. You'd usually find them up north in the mountains or on the Skellige Isles. Thanks to witchers, they're almost extinct."

Geralt then looked down at the decoction, which now had a navy blue color to it. Seeing that it was done, he then took out a special looking bottle. It was rather long and wide, with a label at the bottom which had a skull and crossbones on it. Geralt took the cork off of the bottle and started to slowly pour the decoction into the bottle. The bottle was soon filled, and Geralt popped the cork back on it. He then put the bottle back in his potion box, and then began to put away the rest of his alchemy equipment.

"We should get some rest. There's a long ride ahead of us tomorrow."

Ruby replied with a nod and closed her book. Geralt put out the fire by covering it with dirt, and soon the two went to sleep.

* * *

[Toderas, Velen, the Northern Kingdoms]

 _The Next Day…_

Geralt and Ruby soon arrived at Toderas around noon, riding in on Roach. The village was quiet and out of the way, with the villagers going about their day. The two quickly arrived at a house that was near the center of the village. In front of it was a middle age man with grey hair and a grey beard. He wore a green shirt with a brown vest, brown pants, and simple looking shoes. He was currently smoking a pipe as he looked up at the approaching wither and huntress.

"Good day sir, little lass."

"You're the ealdorman of this village, right," Geralt asked as he got off of Roach and helped Ruby get down as well.

"I am."

"Good. We saw the contract that you were offering in Crow's Perch. We're to discuss the details."

"And who might you be?"

"I'm a witcher. I solve people's problems… for a price, that is."

"Aye. Come on inside. We'll discuss the details there."

The ealdorman lead the two inside of his house. It was rather plain looking, consisting of a table with four chairs around, a cabinet, and two additional rooms, one being his bedroom, and the other serving as his kitchen area and pantry. The ealdorman motioned for the two to take a seat. They did so as the ealdorman sat across from them.

"You two have names?"

"I'm Geralt of Rivia. The girl's name is Ruby Rose."

"The name's Petyr. Now, onto the contract you took up."

"The details in the contract were rather sparse. Would you mind explaining what this giant did to your village," Geralt asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"He's been terrorizing our village for the past several weeks, making us pay a tribute to his band of cutthroats in exchange for sparing our village."

Ruby blinked at this while Geralt simply raised an eyebrow at this.

"What kind of giant makes a village pay tribute?"

"Oh, you thought you were dealing with a monster, did you? Apologies, we should of clarified things in the contract."

"So the giant you want us to deal with isn't actually a giant," Ruby asked as Petyr blew out a ring of smoke from his pipe.

"Ah, but he is. Stands at seven feet tall, thus the title 'the Giant'. Real name is Mikael Bornedal. Use to serve in King Radovid's army before he defected. Now thrives as a bandit. Usually attacks folk traveling on the roads, but also takes to forcing villages to pay tribute to him. If they can't afford it, he razes them to the ground. Butchers the men and children and rapes the women. He then takes anything of value from the village before burning it to the ground."

As usual, Geralt's face was in a state of neutrality. Ruby, on the other hand, was stifling back a gasp, her eyes widening as she heard of the Giant's atrocities. Petyr took another drag on his pipe as he finished his tale.

"So what do you say, master witcher? Will you take out the Giant?"

" _Please say yes_ ," Ruby thought to herself as Geralt put his hand to his chin in thought, weighing his options. At Kaer Morhen, he was always taught to not go off and play hero. However, he wasn't like most witchers. If he denied the contract, the village of Toderas would eventually be pillaged and razed by the Giant and his men. The witcher placed his hands on the table as he made his decision.

"I usually wouldn't take this kind of contract, but in your case, I'll make an exception."

"Thank you, master witcher."

"You wouldn't happen to know the Giant's whereabouts, do you?"

"Aye, he has an encampment around a mile or two east of here. Best of luck to you two."

Geralt replied with a nod as he and Ruby left the hut. They both of them got on Roach and soon rode out of the village. After riding for about a mile or so, they stopped off side to the road near a forest clearing. This was right around where Petyr said that the bandit encampment would be. The two got off Roach as Geralt began to search through the mare's saddlebags.

"Wait, we aren't we going after the giant right now," Ruby asked as Geralt brought out some of his supplies from the saddlebag. He then began to explain things to Ruby as he sat down in the clearing, cross-legged.

"I need some time to prepare. Going in headstrong against them would be foolhardy. We need to know what we're going up against."

"What's that," Ruby asked as she pointed at a bottle that Geralt held in his hands. Inside of the bottle was a forest green colored oil. Geralt then unsheathed his steel sword from his back as he explained the oil to Ruby.

"It's called hanged man's venom. Very powerful stuff. The formula for it is rather simple, just arenaria and dog tallow. A single cut from a blade coated in this poison can prove fatal."

Ruby nodded as Geralt then brought out two whetstones and handed one of them to Ruby. He then ran the stone down the length of the blade, sharpening the blade. Ruby took out Rosebud and unfolded the weapon. She then began to sharpen its edge with the whetstone while Geralt began to apply the hanged man's venom to his sword. He then took out two bombs from a chest and hooked them on the left side of his belt. The first was a grapeshot bomb, while the second was a bomb called Samum. Samum would produce a blinding flash when thrown. The witcher then sheathed his sword before looking at Ruby. The young huntress had finished sharpening Rosebud's blade, and had placed the scythe on her back. Lastly, Geralt took a few items out of his potion box and placed them inside of Ruby's rucksack.

Geralt then hitched Roach to a nearby tree before motioning Ruby to follow him.

"Let's go. We have a giant to slay."

The two then head out further into the forest. Geralt then got down on one knee and began to search around the area. He quickly removed a side some brush and twigs in the path to find a pair of footprints. Footprints that belonged to a rather large set of boots.

"Found some tracks," he said as then sniffed the air, and caught the whiff of the familiar smell of smoke.

"Looks like Petyr was right. The Giant's camp is around here."

Geralt than began to follow the footprints, with Ruby close behind him. They soon found themselves at the top a hill. At the bottom of the slope was the Giant's camp. Said camp was near a group of rocks. Nearby the rocks was a rather plain looking tent, alongside several chests and barrels, containing various goods that the Giant and his men pillaged. In the center of the camp was a campfire, where the Giant and his men were gathered. There were five of them in total, including the Giant. They were all feasting on a roast boar, which was currently on a spit over the fire, and all sat on cut down logs.

Out of all of the men gathered around the fire, the Giant stood out the most. Like the ealdorman said, he was massive, standing at seven feet tall. He possessed an incredibly muscular build, with huge, beefy arms. It looked like his entire body was nothing but muscle, bone, and sinew. He had black hair that was cut in a buzz cut, with a rough looking beard that covered his entire face. A notable trait on his face were three parallel scars running across his face. He wore the armor that would usually be seen on a Redanian army Halberdier. However, rather than its usual red color, it was colored a deep blue. He sat on a log all by himself, eating a leg of boar with a large bottle of ale. Near him was a steel great helm, and a _massive_ steel greatsword, with a blade nearly four and a half feet in length and a grip wrapped in black leather.

Geralt and Ruby then hide behind a nearby oak tree, thinking about how to go about the situation.

"Ruby, give me a bottle of Thunderbolt and the cockatrice decoction," Geralt said as Ruby rummaged through the bag before finding the respective potions and handing it to him. Geralt removed the cork off the decoction and then drank it, grimacing at the taste. He then quickly downed the Thunderbolt potion in one go. His face began to show the effects of the high toxicity of the decoction. The area around his eyes grew darker, his scars were now more noticeable, and the veins in his face were now visible. The witcher let out several deep breaths as his body adjusted to the potion.

"Geralt, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"What did the decoction do to you?"

"Cockatrice decoction amplifies the effects of any potion. The Thunderbolt potion augments my strength and muscle power. These two combined should give me an edge over the Giant."

"Oh. So, what's the plan?"

"Simple: I'll take on the Giant, you'll keep any of his men away from our fight."

Ruby nodded in response as Geralt took the grapeshot bomb off his belt. He then tossed the bomb over into the campsite, which landed near a bandit who wore a Temerian army gambeson. The bomb went off, the momentum of the explosion knocking the bandit back, the fire and shrapnel burning him. The rest of the bandits stood up at once as Geralt and Ruby slide down the hill, quickly landing at the bottom. The Giant and his men turned towards the recently arrived witcher and huntress.

"Hello, there," Geralt greeted as the bandits began to size him up. One of the bandits, who was dressed in a Kaedweni gambeson and armed with a short bow and quiver, stepped forward.

"I got 'im," he said as he knocked an arrow, took aim, and let it loose. Geralt quickly brought his sword up within a blink of an eye and deflected it. The bandit stuttered at what he saw before he nocked another arrow and fired. Geralt redirected the arrow with his sword and sent back to the archer. The arrow hit the bandit in his jugular, and he collapse to the ground, choking and sputtering out blood. The Giant ignored the dead man as he looked at Geralt. He then spoke to him in a deep, booming voice.

"I think I know you. White hair, twin swords on your back. You're Geralt of Rivia, King Foltest's supposed killer."

"And you're Mikael Bornedal, the Giant."

"Heh. I guess you're here to deal with me? Fine. I always wanted to fight me a witcher."

The Giant then turned his gaze towards Ruby.

"And after I lob off your head, me and the boys will have a lil' bit of… _fun_ with the little lass you're with."

Geralt picked up on the tone in the Giant's voice as he said that, and his eyes narrowed. Ruby, on the other hand, shivered at what he said. She then quickly brought out Rosebud while Geralt went into a battle stance. One of the bandits then rushed at Geralt, armed with a blackjack. He swung at the witcher, swiftly dodged the blow before responding with his own. With a flash of steel, Geralt cut off the man's arm at the shoulder. The bandit let out a blood-curdling scream, which was soon silenced as Geralt decapitated him.

* * *

Ruby tightened her grip upon Rosebud as the last bandit approached her. He was bald, with most of his front teeth missing, and wore patchwork leather armor. He was armed with a war hammer.

"Hello, lil' bird," he said as he swung his hammer forward. Ruby quickly jumped back to avoid the strike, and then swiftly placed Rosebud's blade right behind the shaft of the weapon. She hoped to disarm the bandit of his weapon. However, as she pulled Rosebud forward, the man's body lurched with it, his grip being too tight on the hammer. His body contacted Rosebud's blade, and soon began to bleed. The bandit dropped to the ground as began to bleed out.

Ruby just stared on in shock, her eyes as wide as dinner plates and her mouth stuttering. She didn't mean to kill him. She just wanted to disarm him and knock him out. She dropped to her knees, staring at the space in front of her.

* * *

Geralt, meanwhile, steeled himself as the Giant approached him. He now had his iron helm on, and his right hand grasped his greatsword. He started out with an overhead strike, trying to cut Geralt in two. The witcher jumped forward to avoid the blow, and the Giant followed up with a vertical strike. Geralt brought his sword up just in time to block it, but soon stumbled due to the force of the blow.

The Giant went on an assault, now grasping his sword in both hands. Geralt quickly gathered his bearing and casted _Quen_. A translucent, orange bubble surrounded the witcher, soon absorbed all of the giant's blows. The Giant then landed one final blow on the shield, and it exploded outwards, knocking the Giant back. Geralt then took this opportunity to strike. He quickly sliced his sword into the giant's side before pirouetting behind him and sliced at the back of his leg. The giant turned around, only to have Geralt's sword hit his helm. The helm went flying off and exposed the Giant's snarling face. He swung his sword once again, but Geralt quickly parried the blow before kicking him the stomach.

The witcher then took the Samum bomb from his side and threw it on the ground. A bright flash of light then stunned the Giant. Geralt followed up by taking his crossbow from his back, which had a broadhead bolt loaded in it. He fired it at the Giant, and the bolt then hit him directly in the eye. The Giant soon recovered and ripped the bolt from his eye, not even letting out a whimper of pain. He then charged at Geralt, with witcher dashing forward as well. Geralt then ducked under the Giant's blow, and cut him right near his armpit.

The Giant then turned and glared daggers at Geralt. He attempted to lift his sword, but soon found it too heavy to move, as if it were made of stone. He then suddenly found it difficult to breath, with his breathes coming out forced and haggard. He then dropped to his knees, his vision now becoming blurry. His veins now felt like they were on fire, and sweat then poured down his forehead. The Giant spit out a bit of blood ad Geralt approached him.

"What… what's happening to me?"

"I coated my blade in poison before coming here. I knew that fighting you wouldn't be easy, so I wasn't going to take any chances. Have any last words?"

The Giant spit a glob of blood at Geralt's boots.

"Fuck you!"

" _Those_ are your last words? 'Fuck you?' You can do better than that."

"…Cunt!"

"You're terrible at dying."

Grasping his sword, Geralt decapitated the giant with one swift stroke. The Giant's head landed near the ground, and his body soon collapsed with a heavy thud. The witcher then noticed something near the ground. It was the Giant's bottle of ale, which had miraculous managed to not be knocked over during their fight. Geralt picked the bottle up and took a swig of it. The ale was rather warm, much to his displease. He then began to look around the campsite.

"Ruby," he called out, wandering what happened to the girl. He then saw her kneeling on the ground, staring off into space with a look of glazed catatonia in her eyes. Geralt then noticed the dead body of the bandit, and he soon put two and two together.

The White Wolf then walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Ruby snapped out of her stupor and looked up towards Geralt. The witcher then spoke to her in a gentle voice.

"It's alright, Ruby… it's alright."

Next Time - Witchy Woman

* * *

 **A/N:** And here's another chapter of White Wolf and Red Hood.

Originally, this chapter was going to adapt the Jenny O' the Woods contract from the game. However, I then decided to take the advice of AnimeA55Kicker's review and create my own original side quest for this chapter. I took inspiration from _Game of Thrones_ with this one, a series that my friend, beta, and fellow writer Rocker1600 convinced me to start watching (and I have to say that it is a damn fine series; I watched the second season finale while writing this chapter). Essentially, Mikael "The Giant" Bornedal is an expy of Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane. I thought it would be appropriate to reference _Game_ _of Thrones_ in this chapter since the Witcher 3 game makes a couple of references to it as well. Most notable is that the Bloody Baron is an expy of King Robert Baratheon, and Emhyr var Empreis, emperor of Nilfgaard, is voiced by Tywin Lannister himself, Charles Dance.

Anyway, next chapter won't be up for awhile. However, I have some interesting plans and ideas in store for this fic. I have more ideas for original quests in the future. I do eventually plan to use some characters from the second game in these quests, such as Iorveth and a certain Kingslayer (and I'm not talking about Jaime Lannister).

Anyway, please leave a review (since I appreciate feedback) and fave and follow as well. I'll see you all next update.


	8. Witchy Woman

**Chapter 8: Witchy Woman**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former is owned by Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red while the latter is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[The Giant's Camp, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

Geralt and Ruby had decided to settle at the camp for the night. He had whistled Roach over and hitched her to a tree, giving her some oats and an apple to eat. Geralt had collected the bodies of the bandits and buried them in a mass grave. However, he decided to keep the Giant's head, wrapping it in cloth. He planned on giving it to the ealdorman of Toderas as a sign of their completed work, like what he did with monsters who he had killed for contracts. Ruby, meanwhile, had sat by the campfire and stared at it, still haunted by the life she took today.

After burying the bodies, Geralt had searched around the bandit camp for any useful supplies. For some odd reason, the camp contained alchemy supplies such as saltpeter, calcium equum, ribleaf, and quicksilver solution. The witcher had also found a small chest containing florens and orens, the currency of the Nilfgaardian Empire and Temeria, respectively. However, both coins had fallen out in favor of the Novigrad crown. Until he could exchange them for crowns at a bank in Novigrad, they were useless for now. To Geralt's surprise, he had found a few bottles of beer among the items, including Rivian Kriek and Viziman Champion. The rest of the items that Geralt discovered were weapons such as blackjacks and swords of various makes and designs, and useless baubles and trinkets. In the end, Geralt decided to only keep the alchemy supplies, the money, and the beer.

The witcher then sat across from Ruby, helping himself to some of the bandit's roasted boar, along with some bread and a bottle of Rivian Kriek. The meat was a bit overcooked in his opinion, but otherwise fine. He looked over at Ruby, who was staring into the fire blankly, her arms hugging her knees. He swallowed the piece of boar he had been chewing before speaking to her.

"You had little choice, you know."

Ruby perked up at Geralt's comment.

"Huh?'

"You had little choice when it came to the bandit's life. It was either your life or his. You had to kill him to save yourself."

"I-I know. I thought I could just disarm him."

"You won't always have the chance to disarm them. You'll find yourself in places where you have no other choice but to kill."

"That's what Yennefer told me back in Vizima."

Geralt stared in response as he took a sip from his beer. Ruby looked up at him and asked him a question.

"Does it ever get easier?"

"Does what?"

"Killing people."

"…No, it doesn't. I've just learned to live with it," Geralt said as he took a bite out of his bread. He knew his advice wasn't particularly helpful or comforting to Ruby. He had over half of a century to get use to killing people, while she was young and had her whole life ahead of her. He took a sip of his beer as he looked up at the starry night sky.

* * *

[Miscopse, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

 _The next day…_

After leaving the Giant's camp early in the morning, and stopped by Toderas to collect their reward from the ealdorman. Geralt had given Ruby her half of the reward. They spent the next few hours traveling to a village all the way on the other side of Velen called Midcopse. It was mentioned in Hendrik's notes that a witch lived near this village, and she had previously encountered Ciri. Therefore, she might have some information on her whereabouts. They arrived in the village, early in the afternoon.

Geralt looked back at Ruby as they entered Midcopse. She was doing a better since their talk last night. However, she was still a bit shaken up. The two quickly hitched Roach near some stable and started to walk around the village.

"How are we going to find this witch, Geralt?"

"Ask around, I guess," Geralt muttered as his eyes scanned the village. He quickly glanced at a woman sweeping the front step of her porch.

"Should send him back to the witch. Might cure him of his laziness," the women muttered as she noticed the witcher and the huntress approaching.

"Greetings. My ward and I have a matter for the village witch. Know where we can find her?"

"I don't bother with her meself, but my husband will know. Broke his back last week so bad that he can hardly move. I sent him to the witch, and he came back as sprightly as a foal!"

"Where is he?"

"In the yard, no doubt. The pain's gone, but the sloth's now set in. He should be huntin' foxberries to feed our young 'uns."

"Farewell, Geralt said simply as he and Ruby walked off, leaving the woman to rant to herself. The two walked around the corner of the house and saw a man in his forties leaning against a fence.

"Good day. I heard you know where to find the local witch."

"Who told you that?"

"Your wife."

"Daft wench. Leave me be, and don't listen to that natterin' sow. We've had not a witch, a shaman, nor a cunnin' wench in ages!"

"But your wife said you visited her," Ruby shouted in protest, annoyed at the man.

"Me wife's a liar," he retorted as Geralt reached into his pockets and brought out a small coin purse.

"Would a few crowns refreshen your memory," he asked as he handed the man the purse. His eyes widened as he looked down at the money, it probably being more money than he would earn in a week.

"Well, if that's you'd put it, then I do know the way. Know the small pond near the village? Path leads off from it. Follow that till you come across a lone rock. Walk around that, into the woods. Find the old cart, and then you're there at the witch's house."

"Thanks."

"It's just that… please, don't harm her. Word of your kind has reached these parts."

Geralt raised an eyebrow at the man's request.

"'My kind?' Meaning?"

"Well, the witch burnin' kind."

Geralt sighed at this. He supposed that the stories of King Radovid and his witch hunters at reached Velen by this point. He had not encountered any of them, since he had spent the past year searching for Yennefer, and he tried to stay neutral in any political affair. The witcher decided to reassure the poor peasant.

"No need to worry. I'm not out to hurt your witch. I'm no witch hunter, and I'm not a member of the Order of the Flaming Rose."

"That takes a weight off me heart, sir. She only arrived a short while ago, but she's frightfully wise. Even pleasant on the eyes, if you like 'em skinny."

"Thanks for the help," Geralt said he and Ruby turned and left, heading back to the village entrance. The two then head along the path described to them by the peasant, and soon arrived in front of a rather small house in a clearing. A handful of peasants were out in the front of it, along with a young woman.

The woman appeared to be in her late twenties to early thirties, with yellow eyes and platinum blonde hair that went to her shoulders. She wore a blue dress with intricate red and gold designs on it, which also exposed a generous amount of cleavage. A piece of brown leather was tied around her waist with a length of cord and a strip of red cloth. Lastly, she had on a pair of silk slippers, and a red bead necklace that had a golden cross on it. This woman was supposedly the witch of Midcopse.

The peasants outside of her house were currently begging her to save a sick cow, which was the last of their cows. The witch let out a sigh as she quickly told them a remedy.

"I shall give you herbs. Mix them with water drawn from the spring at midnight, then make the cow drink it. But first, you must clean out your barn. Is that clear?"

"Thank you, miss! A thousand thank yous," cried out one of the peasants. Geralt leaned against a cornor of the house of as he watched the scene, Ruby standing right next to him. To him, this witch seemed to be awfully familiar to him. On the other hand, this witch reminded Ruby a bit of Glynda Goodwitch.

Another man, with a beard that covered most of his face and wearing a simple woolen cap, approached the witch.

"Miss, I've been havin' a rash as of lately. Any way to cure it?"

"Your rash will vanish once you stop ploughing the village goat," the witch said in an exasperated tone before addressing all of the peasants.

"Enough. I've had my fill for the day. Go home."

With that, the witch went inside of the hut, and the gathered peasants went back to Midcopse. Geralt's eyes widened in realization.

"I know who she is."

Ruby then turned to Geralt.

"Really?"

"Yes. She's Keira Metz. Former advisor to King Foltest and youngest member to join the Lodge of Sorcereresses. Don't know what she's doing living here. She always hated the wilderness, preffered to the live a life of splendor and luxury."

With that, the witcher and the huntress went up to the house's door, and the former knocked on it.

"Anyone home," he asked as the door suddenly swung open slowly. The door went inside and began to look around. Ruby went over to a nearby table that was covered with flowers and inspected a pair of golden pots.

"Is this some kind of potion," she wondered as Geralt looked down at the two pots.

"No, just ordinary ointment. Leave it be, Ruby, we need to find Keira."

The two then went into the left side of the house into another room, which appeared to be Keira's workshop. Geralt went other to a desk, while Ruby inspected a pentagram drawn on the ground with white chalk.

"You'd never see these kinds of baubles in Velen," Geralt commented as he turned towards a shelf, which had a human skull with some deigns drawn on it. He then reached out an touched it.

"Powerful aura. Must be an artifact or-"

The skull then began to glow and suddenly a portal appeared with an audible burst where the pentagram was. Ruby let out a yelp in surprise before stumbling and falling right on her backside.

"I think we now know where she went, Geralt," Ruby said as she got up and dusted herself off. The witcher let out an audible sigh in annoyance, which didn't go unnoticed by Ruby.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's just that I _really_ hate portals."

Ruby blinked at this before letting out a giggle. She never expected Geralt to have any pet peeves. Geralt motioned her to follow, and the two stepped into the portal, it closing after they entered it.

* * *

[Keira's Hidden Grotto]

The two stepped out of a portal and to arrive in a grotto. It was full of lush green plants, tall tress, and white flowers. Snow hares, rabbits, and deer ran about the grotto. In the middle of the grotto was a small stone structure, and on top of it was what looked like a gazebo surrounded by stone pillars.

"Hm, very nice," Geralt commented as Keira's voice called out from the top of the stone hill.

"I was wondering how long it would take you, Geralt. I'm upstairs. Don't be shy. And bring your little friend, too."

The two then went up the stone stairs, with Ruby stopping to pet one of the hares. The two soon arrived at the top of the structure.

"Greetings," Keira said as they approached her. Ruby suddenly froze at what she saw, and her face soon turned as red as her cloak.

Said gazebo turned out to be a stone bath, where Keria was currently bathing. She rubbed a bar of sweet smelling soap over her legs while showing off her rather ample breasts. Geralt stared at her nonchalantly, as if she wasn't bathing.

"I hope you haven't come here to gawk."

"No, we came here to talk."

"Well then, turn around," she said as Geralt noticed Ruby standing still as a statue, her face still flushed. Keira got out of the bath, and, with a flick of her hand, casted a spell that put her clothes back on with a flash of light. Keira turned around and noticed Ruby.

"Is she going to be alright," she asked as Geralt put his hand on the young huntress and shook her. Ruby snapped out of her state and looked at Keira.

"Sorry about that. I'm Ruby Rose, and you can say that I'm traveling with Geralt."

"I thought you hated the countryside," Geralt said as he leaned against some railing.

"I can assure you that I do now more than ever."

"We heard that a witch lived out here. Never would expect that it was you."

"I'm so pleased that the world is still able to astound you, Geralt. I actually envy that sense of wonder – common in children, knight errants, and morons."

"Someone's grown irritable. Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"I do believe I 'greeted' the two of you with a pleasant view. What brings you here" Keira commented as she sat down on a nearby bench.

"We're looking for a certain young woman."

"Really? Who?"

"Ciri. Yes, _that_ Ciri. No one can know. Understand?"

Keira perked up in surprise at the mention of Ciri's name.

"Cirilla's here? The girl once sought by the Lodge of Sorceresses and particularly every ruler on the continent, has landed here in Velen, and I know nothing of it? What's she doing here?"

"Well, we heard that she had an argument with a witch, and we assumed she meant you," Ruby said as Keria put her hand to her chin in thought. Geralt crossed his arms as she asked the sorceress another question.

"Are you sure you haven't seen her?"

"I'm certain. However, someone has recently asked me about an ashen-haired woman. He said that she would stand out from a peasant crowd, like Ruby would with her cloak."

"Who was it," Geralt asked sharply as Keria got up from her seat.

"Not so fast, Geralt. No humble plea? No offering to the witch?"

"What's your rate these days? A dozen eggs? Three hens, perhaps," Geralt replied sarcastically. Keira frowned at the witcher's jests.

"My rate rises with every word you speak. I'm not sure you can afford that information anymore."

Ruby immediately panicked at Keira's words. She immediately reached into her knapsack and took out a coin purse, her half of the reward money for killing the Giant.

"Is this enough to cover your rate," she said nervously, not wanting to lose a lead that would help her get home. Keira, in turn, blinked in surprise before motioning her to put the money away.

"That's… more than what I would usually get from these peasants, but I'll turn it down, child. I know it's Ciri we're talking about, and how much she means to Geralt. The person who was asking about Cirilla was an elf. No flea-bitten Scoia'tel slob either, but an elven mage.

Ruby's eyes widened in wonder at the mention of the elf. She had read stories with elves in them when she was growing up. She never thought that they would exist in the Northern Kingdoms. Keira, meanwhile continued with her explanation.

"He never gave me his name, and he wore a mask. Very secretive all around, but rather liked him. He was composed and intelligent."

"Did he say what he wanted with Ciri?"

"Only that they were meeting in Velen. He wanted to know if she arrived before he did. He didn't leave any messages for her, but said if she were to arrive, I should lead her to him."

"So you know where to find him," Geralt concluded as he, Ruby, and Keira began to walk down the stairs, passing by a pair of rabbits fornicating.

"He said that he had a hideout near some Elvish ruins near Midcopse. I'll go there with you."

"Why's that?"

"I have unfinished business with the elf. He promised me payment, but never deliverd on it. I think as you do – Cirilla might be there, and I'd like to see her. Besides, you might need help protecting Ruby."

"I'm capable of taking care of myself, Miss Meitz," Ruby said as she moved her cloak, showing both Rosebud and her crossbow on her back. Keira raised an eyebrow at her weapon of choice.

"A scythe? I usually see it as a tool for cutting down grain, but I suppose it works," She commented as they reached the entrance of the grotto.

"Shall I teleport you to the ruins or should I meet you there?"

"Meet us there. We'll need some time to prepare," Geralt commented as Keira opened up the portal.

"Very well," Keria said as the portal open up once again, and the three stepped into it. They soon arrived at the house, went off on their separate ways.

* * *

[Elvish Ruins near Midcopse, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

 _One hour later…_

Around midafternoon, Geralt and Ruby met up with Keira at the Elvish Ruins. They looked like the remains of an old castle or some old strong keep, with an entryway near the bottom leading to a cavern. Geralt and Ruby had used the time to prepare by making potions and bombs and making some purchases at the Midcopse blacksmith, just in case anything was down there. A new addition that Ruby had on was a leather belt, with a silver rose emblem on the buckle. Attached to the belt were two pouches. One was on her right hip, and used for holding crossbow bolts. The other was on her left hip, and was used for holding bombs.

"I should tell you that I haven't been here before," Keria said as the witcher and the huntress looked at her.

"Really," Ruby asked as Keira replied with a nod.

"Yes. I was hoping that the elf with return with my payment. At any rate, I have no clue what to expect from here."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Ruby said as she approached the cavern. Geralt shrugged and followed her, his steel sword in hand just in case. Keira came up at the rear, and then all three of them went into the cavern.

Next Time - Wandering in the Dark

* * *

 **A/N:** And here is the latest White Wolf and Red Hood update!

I'm honestly surprised at the quickness of this update. Anyway, I hope you liked Geralt and Ruby's talk about her killing someone. I honestly felt like that it was lacking, but one of my friends reassured me that it worked, since Geralt is a man of few words.

And here, Keira Metz enters the story. I admit that the joke about the peasant and the rash was suggested by my friend and fellow author, DovahCourier. You should check out his fics, since the dude is really damn creative (and his helped me a lot with this fic).

Anyway, please leave reviews, as well as fave and follow. I'll see you all next update (which won't be for awhile).


	9. Wandering in the Dark

**Chapter 9: Wandering in the Dark**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former is owned by Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red and the latter is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Elvish Ruins, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

The group looked at their surroundings as they entered the ruins. In front of them was a long staircase carved from stone. However, the way down was incredibly dark. Keira quickly resolved that matter by quickly casting a spell.

" _Gvella glan_ ," she incanted as bright light followed from her hands and surrounded her, illuminating the area a bit. She then lead the way, Geralt and Ruby following her. They soon reached the end of the staircase and entered into a very large cavern. In front of them was a smaller stone staircase which lead to the beginning of what appeared to be a stone bridge with two pillars on either side of it. However, much of the stone bridge was broken off, leaving only the two ends of it. At the other end of the bridge were a group of tall, armored figures. Geralt narrows his eyes as he recognized the figures.

"The Wild Hunt," he said under his breath as Keira and Ruby stood next to him. Keira's eyes widened as she turned towards the witcher.

"What!? Phantom Riders? That means… I thought they didn't exist!"

"Well, feast your eyes on the nonexistent then," Geralt said as Ruby peered at the group.

"I think they're doing something," She said as one of the riders, who was holding a scepter of some sort, made various movements with his arms. Suddenly, a black portal with a silver outline opened in front of them, which they stepped into. Geralt looked on with interest as he walked forward.

"Hm. They have a navigator with them."

"A navigator? What's a navigator?"

"They're elven mages, Ruby. They have the abilities to open portals in space and time," Geralt explained as he turned to Keira.

"Can you teleport us to the other side?"

"I'd rather teleport us out of here. Do you really mean to follow them?"

"If it means finding Ciri, then yes," Geralt said as they reached the edge of the bridge. Keira let out a sigh as she moved her hands and casted a spell. A boom was heard and a large portal appeared in front of them, black with a golden outline. One of the pillars immediately crumbled from the opening of the portal.

"Alright, in we go," Keira said as she stepped into the portal, disappearing in a flash of blue light. Geralt sighed as he walked in, deciding that it was best to get it over with. Ruby followed in last, hopping into the portal.

* * *

Ruby landed on her feet, right in the middle of what looked like another cavern. The cavern's floor was damp and covered with water and moss. She was surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites. Ruby took a step forward before something began to rise in front of her.

It was creature that was humanoid in appearance. It had light blue skin covered with scales, with webbed fingers and toes, and a red fin on tops of its head. It had talons on the end of its fingers, and pale eyes lacking any pupils or irises. Six more of these creatures rose from the water and began to surround Ruby.

The young huntress quickly used her semblance to speed away from the creatures. The creatures started to stumble after her as Ruby took out a Dancing Star bomb from her knapsack. She threw the bomb at the creatures, and then all quickly ignited by the bomb's flames. Ruby then took Rosebud off her back, unfolded the weapon, and charged forward. She quickly swung her scythe in a several wide arcs, cutting the remaining creatures down until they were a pile of corpses. Ruby heard footsteps approaching her, and turned around to see Geralt with his silver sword in hand. However, Ruby noticed different about the witcher: his eyes were glowing and his pupils were widened.

"Good. You didn't land too far from me."

"Geralt, what's up with your eyes?"

"Just a side effect of my mutations. It allows me to see in the dark."

"Oh, cool," Ruby exclaimed before she looked back at the creatures she had slain.

"What were those things?"

"They're drowners, necrophages that like to inhabit bodies of water. Folk use to believe that they're the bodies of drowned men."

"Oh."

"Now, we need to find Keira. Her transporting spell seemed to have scattered us," Geralt commented as they walked up a nearby flight of stairs, leading them back to the bridge and the entryway. They briefly looked around before Geralt's ears picked up a shriek of terror.

Geralt quickly dashed down stairs to the right of the bridge, with Ruby following. They reached the end of the stairs, and then turned a sharp right, and went up another flight of stairs. They then went down another hallway before entering the room where Keira was. She was in the middle of a large pit, and was currently surrounded by rats. The sorceress let out another shriek of fright as a rat scurried past her feet.

"…and here I thought it would be something dangerous," Geralt deadpanned as sheathed his silver sword. Keira turned and looked up at the two.

"Do something! They're crawling out of those holes! Use a Sign or bomb! Anything!"

"What's the big deal? They're just rats," Ruby commented as Keira glared up at her.

"I _hate_ rats!"

Geralt sighed as he noticed the two rat nests nearby the pit. He grabbed a Grapeshot bomb off of the side of his belt and tossed it at the furthest, destroying it. He then casted _Igni_ and destroyed the second nest. The remaining rats quickly scurried away as Keira got to her feet and dusted herself off. She looked at Geralt and Ruby as they stepped into the pit.

"You're afraid of rats? You could have annihilated them with one spell," Geralt said amusedly as he approached Keira. The sorceress in turn gave him a rather pointed look.

"Fine, I'll drop it."

"Kiera, your spell didn't work," Ruby said as she hopped down into the pit.

"There's something here that distorts teleportation. I have no idea how the Wild Hunt got to the other side problem free."

"The magic that the Wild Hunt uses is different. Like I said, they got mages called Navigators that use it," Geralt explained as Keira let out a huff.

"They can have three helmsmen and a parrot for all I care. I'm not risking that again."

"Then that means we take the long way around," Geralt said as he approached a nearby doorway. Ruby followed his lead while Keira stared at both in disbelief.

"Are you two completely mad? We must leave!"

"We need to know what the Wild Hunt is doing here."

"We came here to find an elven mage, not the Wild Hunt!"

"The Wild Hunt can lead us to Ciri," Ruby suddenly blurted out. Geralt pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed while Keira gave off a curious look, the huntress's outburst having sparked her interest.

"Go on, Ruby. Tell me what the Wild Hunt have to do with Ciri."

"Come with us, and I _might_ tell you," Geralt said as he interjected, hoping to do damage control on Ruby's slip up. Keira let out a huff as she followed them up the doorway.

"Are you always like this? I'm beginning to feel bad for Trish and Yennefer."

The three then walked through the doorway and turned down into a long hallway. However, what was at the end of the hallway caught their interest. It was a podium where a glowing white hologram stood. Said hologram was of a hooded and masked figure. Ruby looked at the hologram in confusion. The hologram was speaking, but it was in some unknown, ancient sounding language that she couldn't make a word out of. Keira's eyes widened in recognition as she saw the hologram.

"That's the elf that approached me!"

"What's he saying," Ruby whispered to the witcher, who looked down at her.

"He says that he awaits the Daughter of the Gull, and to follow the sign of your sword."

"What does that mean?"

Before Geralt could reply, the image suddenly disappeared. Ruby rushed up and started to look over the podium before turning the witcher and the sorceress.

"It's gone! Where did it go? What was it?"

"It's called a morphotic projection, Ruby," Keira said as Ruby cocked her head in confusion.

"A morphotic what?"

"Think of it as a postbox for mages. It's much safer than sending a letter, which can be sent by anybody."

"Oh, it's like sending a message by a scroll," Ruby said as she turned to Geralt, who had his arms crossed.

"What was the message about, Geralt?"

"One thing's for certain is that it was definitely for Ciri. It mentioned the Daughter of the Gull, Lara Dorren's heir."

"It is a title that the elves would give Ciri," Keira said as she put her put her fingers to her chin in thought. "But what about the part about the sign of her sword? Is it a riddle?"

"It is, but's not a hard one. Ciri named her sword _Zireael_ – swallow in the Elder Speech."

"Who besides you would know that?"

"That might be the point. The mage secured and hid the passage so only Ciri would be able to find it."

"Looks like he failed to see that someone like you would come."

"Nevertheless, he was expecting unexpected visitors," Geralt said as he, Ruby and Keira began to walk down the hallway. "He must have made some preparations, so hopefully the Wild Hunt has run into some road blocks."

"So, I guess we mean we need to follow any Swallow markings," Ruby suggested as she walked down another flight of stairs.

"That's the plan."

The three then looked around at the next cavern that they were in. On the floor were several bodies of water, with stalactites and stalagmites surrounding the room. In front of them was a statue of a man in robes, and on either side of them were two pillars. One of the pillars were broken. The went down another flight of stairs and arrived at watery floor. Yellowish vapors were rising from the floors Ruby began to walk towards the area. However, Geralt quickly grabbed her by her cloak and tugged her back. Ruby looked like him in disbelief.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"That oily, yellow vapor is toxic. You would have choked to death before you made it halfway across."

"I need no warning. I'd recognize the vulpine morel anywhere," Keira said as the witcher gained a look of amusement in his eyes.

"Vesemir once told me that when he learned how to cast _Igni_ , he tried it out on a patch of these mushrooms."

"What happened to him," Ruby asked, wanting to know what happened the old Witcher she met in White Orchard. Geralt smirked as he explained.

"Well, he survived… and a witcher's wounds heal quickly."

Ruby winced in sympathy, having known what it was liked to get exploded, due to her experiences with Dust. She then looked back at the obstacle in their paths.

"So what are we going to do about the mushrooms."

"Simple. Stand back," Geralt said as he stood in front of them. With a quick movement of his hand, he casted _Igni_ , and a wave of flame went forth from his hands. The flames and the gas met, and the whole room soon lit up. The flames soon subsided, and their path was now clear.

"Let's go," Geralt said as they stepped into the waters. Keira grimaced as they went through the waters, her slippers getting thoroughly soaked. Geralt turned a corner, and saw an engraving of a swallow on one of the cave walls. They then went through a narrow pass of the cave and up another flight of stairs and down another hallway before arriving in another cavern. In the center of the cavern was a well that was seven to eight feet in diameter. There was a steep perch leading off to another section of the cave to the well's left. However, in the corner of the room, near the well, was a familiar sight.

"Hey, it's one of those morphotic thingies," Ruby said as she used her semblance to rush forward to the projection. Geralt and Keira ran to catch up to her. Ruby stared at the morphotic projection as it gave off a message in Elder Speech. The huntress turned to Geralt for a translation.

"He says that the obvious route is not the best, and to find Kelpie."

"Kelpie? You mean like the sea monster," Keira asked as Geralt turned to her.

"No, that's the name of Ciri's mare. Horse could gallop like a demon."

"So, we're now looking for a horse," Ruby said as she started to look around the area. She went to the southern side of the well, and then saw what looked like a engraving of a quadrupedal animal.

"I think I found something," she said as she placed her hand on the engraving. As soon as she touched it, an explosion suddenly blasted from the engraving and knocked Ruby across the room. She impacted against the wall and collapsed to the floor.

"I'm okay," she said as she got up, her aura having absorbed the damage. Keira looked on in surprise, shocked that the girl hadn't been harmed. Geralt went over and inspected that engraving that Ruby had found.

"It's a hunting dog. Can't see a connection to Kelpie," he said as something then caught his eye. He went left and stood in front of another engraving in the rock face. This one was now in the shape of a squid.

"Hm, looks like a kayran," he said as he inspected the engraving. The image brought back memories, since he had took a contract on a kayran in the town of Floatsam, getting assistance from the sorceress Síle de Tansarville. He placed his hand on the enrgaving, and then suddenly heard something shifting.

"Something's coming," Ruby said as took Rosebud off her back. Geralt turned around and unsheathed his steel sword. Three people then suddenly stopped in their tracks, and the group looked on in surprise.

It was them, or rather, duplicates of them. The Ruby and Geralt duplicates had their weapons out while the Keira had a spell on her fingertips. The actual Keira held up her hands, preparing a spell of her own.

"Geralt, what the hell is going on?"

"Another security measure. Damn it all," he sighed as he prepared to fight the duplicates. The Keira duplicate made the first move, casting a spell that levitated a pile of stones and then throwing them. Ruby and Keira jumped out of the way of the stones while Geralt casted _Quen_ , the shield blocking off the stones. The Ruby duplicate used her semblance to rush over to the actual Ruby, holding her scythe up in an overhead strike. Ruby dodged the attack before taking a Sanum bomb off her pouch and tossing it. The Ruby duplicate stumbled back, blinded by the bomb as the actual Ruby knocked her back with into some stalactites with another sweep of Rosebud.

Keira noticed the Ruby duplicate backed into the stalactites. She pointed her hand at the duplicate and a white lightning shot out from her hand and hit the Ruby duplicate, making it disappear like a ghost. Ruby and Kiera turned their attention to the two remaining duplicates. Geralt was currently dueling his duplicate while the Kiera duplicate bombarded him with spells, altering between lightning strikes and throwing stones at him.

Ruby then put Rosebud on her back and then took out her crossbow. She loaded a blunt headed bolt into the weapon and then fired it at the Keira duplicate. The bolt broke the duplicate's concentration, giving Geralt an opening.

The witcher pirouetted past his duplicate and then casted _Aard_ at the Keria duplicate. The force of the spell knocked her back into one of the walls. She then disappeared as well. The three then focused on the Geralt duplicate, who was holding his sword in a fighting stance. Geralt responded by tightening the grip on his sword while Ruby traded her crossbow in for Rosebud.

Keira and Geralt responded immediately, both casting _Aard_ and a telekinetic blast simultaneously. The Geralt duplicate was knocked back by the spells, stunning him. Ruby then appeared on front of him in a burst of her semblance, and delivered the finishing blow with Rosebud. The duplicate was knocked back into the well, and then disappeared. The group then relaxed now that the immediate danger was gone.

"Has anything like that happened to you," Keira asked Geralt as he and Ruby put away their respective weapons.

"Well, almost. Awhile back a doppler took a shot at impersonating me."

"And?"

"He hated being me, and felt uncomfortable. Doppler's are kindhearted by nature."

"Well, I guess we're now stuck," Ruby said as she replaced the empty bomb pouch on her belt with a new one from her knapsack. Geralt then thought about what the message had said.

"It said that the obvious route is not the best," he said under his breath. He then turned towards the well and looked down into it. After pondering on the message, suddenly jumped over the ledge and into the well. Ruby and Keira immediately rushed to the side of the well and peered down.

"Geralt!"

"Are you completely mad," Keira shouted as the witcher surfaced for air. He then looked around the area until he found what he was looking for. He swam over to one of the walls and found himself face to face with an engraving of a horse.

"Hm, another clue for Ciri," he said as he took a deep breath and divided back down. He saw the underneath the wall where the engraving was placed was an underwater tunnel. Geralt swam through the tunnel until he reached the end of it, where he could see an air pocket. The witcher swam up and climbed out of the water and onto dry land. In front of him was yet another flight of stairs. The witcher then went up them and soon found himself at the top. Right in front of him was another horse engraving.

"Let's see what this one does," Geralt said as he pressed his hand up against the engraving. The entire cave suddenly shook for a moment before stopping. Geralt then heard Ruby's voice echoing from the end of the tunnel.

"Hey, Geralt! Whatever you did work!"

Geralt went through the rest of the tunnel and ended up back at the beginning of the well. Ruby and Keria stood by the podium. Suddenly, a stone done near the podium slided down, revealing another room.

The room was wide and rectangular with the wall in front of them standing out. On the wall was an outline of an arch doorway, and above the doorway was another swallow engraving, only much larger. Ruby stared at the doorway, puzzled by what it was.

"Alright, I'm stumped. You guys have any idea on what this is?"

"It's the thing that's interfered with my teleportation magic: another portal," Keira said as inspected the arch and engraving. "Now, how to activate it?"

Geralt then noticed something to the left of the archway. He went up to it an inspect it. It was yet another swallow engraving. The witcher ran his hand over the engraving, and a portal suddenly appeared in the arch. Geralt then looked at Keria.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"The mage designed it for Ciri, so yes."

"Come on, Geralt. Portals can't be that bad," Ruby said as the witcher gave her an annoyed look.

"You haven't seen what portals can do to a person," he muttered as he reluctantly stepped into it, followed by Ruby and Keria.

* * *

The portal transported the three to an empty chamber. Darkness enclosed the entire room, and it was strangely silent. Geralt looked around the room, thanks to his eyes. The room was empty, with four pillars in the middle of the it. Said pillars surrounded a large stone.

"It's too quiet," he said his gripped the handle of his silver sword. Ruby, on the other hand reached for her scythe.

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

As if she said the magic words, the stone in the middle started to move before forming and shifting into a roughly humanoid shape. The stone creature now took on a large, hulking form. Its hands were covered in jagged spiked rocks like a spiked mace. Wrapped around its head, arms, and legs were thin strips of paper covered in runic script. The script glowed in the darkness as the creature started to lurch forward. It began to speak in a deep, booming voice.

" ** _Zireael_ not recognized. Intruders. Destroy Intruders**."

"Damn it, a golem," Geralt shouted as he took out his silver sword and went into a stance. Ruby took Rosebud out and turned to Geralt.

"What's a golem?"

"A construct of stone brought to life by a spell. Very popular to make among mages."

"Any weaknesses?"

"It's very strong but cumbersome and slow. Use that to your advantage," Geralt said as the golem rushed towards him. Geralt casted _Quen_ and an orange bubble appeared around him. The golem hammer away at the shield with its fists, its blows being absorbed by it. Keira fired off a lightning spell at the golem's back while Ruby threw a grapeshot bomb at the construct. The bomb went off on its back, doing little damage to it.

Suddenly the _Quen_ shield burst, the force of it knocking the golem back. Geralt took this chance to go on the offensive, slicing at the golem with a series of quick blows. Ruby used rushed forward with Rosebud and joined Geralt on his attack, hitting the Golem with quick blows from Rosebud.

Keira, meanwhile, casted another levitation spell and hurled more stones at the golem. The construct ignored the attack as it focused its attention on Ruby. The girl jumped away from the golem as it charged, sweeping its mace like arms upon the ground. Ruby dodged the golem's attack and sliced Rosebud at the construct's legs. She then used her semblance to dash to the over side of the room, right across from Geralt.

"Use a dimeritium bomb on it."

"Which one is that?"

"It's the green one," Geralt shouted back as Ruby digged through her knapsack until she found the bomb. She then threw it at the golem, and it landed right on its head. The bomb then exploded in a flash of green light. Green smoke surrounded the golem with sparks emitting from the smoke. The golem was now stunned by bomb as it started to sway, the runic script flickering.

Keira then took advantage by casting a telekinetic blast at the golem. Geralt and Ruby then rushed forward and gave the golem the coup de grâce, striking the construct simultaneously with their respective weapons. The golem then collapsed to the ground, its runic script fading and the construct turning lifeless.

"I'd knew we'd manage," Keria said as Geralt sheathed his sword and then took out his knife. He then used his knife to pry something out of the golem's chest. It was an amber colored rock with the top half of it glowing while the bottom half of it was dark. The witcher then handed the rock to Ruby.

"What's this?"

"Technically, it's the golem's heart. It's the source of its power. Might be useful for later," Geralt said as Ruby put the heart in her knapsack. The three then walked through a doorway, leading through another long stretch of tunnel. The group was quiet, with the sound of their footsteps echoing through the cavern. Keira broke the silence by talking to Geralt.

"When you find Ciri, what do you plan to do? Have any plans?"

"It depends on what she wants."

"Have you imagined how it would go? What she would say or look like?"

"No."

"Sorry. I get ahead of myself sometimes. We barely know each other enough to discuss personal matters."

"What's Ciri like," Ruby asked as she adjusted her grip on Rosebud. Geralt looked back at her.

"I'd think you'd like her, Ruby. She's a bit headstrong, but has a good spirit."

They then passed through another archway into another tunnel. As soon as they entered the room, it began to shake as the arch behind them and the arch in front of them suddenly closed with a stone slab covering it. Geralt tensed as another stone creature approached them. This was short and stocky with the appearance of a demon, complete with horns and a pair of wings on its back. Moss covered parts of it

"I'll take care of this," Geralt said as he took out his silver sword and walked towards the creature. Said creature charged forth and began to wail on Geralt, but the witcher blocked its attacks with another _Quen_ shield. The shield burst when it couldn't take anymore and knocked the gargoyle back. Geralt then aggressively assaulted the creature with several blows from his silver sword until the creature fell on its back and collapsed. Geralt sheathed his sword as the stone slabs on the archways slid away.

"So was that another golem," Ruby asked Keira as they stepped through the doorway.

"It's actually a gargoyle. It's like a golem in principle, but it's just a statue brought to life by magic."

The three then found themselves in another room empty room. On a wall was similar arch outline and swallow engraving like the one found in the room near the well.

"Hm, another swallow," Geralt said as he went up to the archway and pressed his hand on another swallow engraving. Like in the other room, a portal immediately opened in the arch.

"I suggest we go through it before another golem or gargoyle ambushes us," Keira said as Geralt and Ruby stepped through the portal.

* * *

Geralt, Ruby, and Keria found themselves transported to an enclosed area. They looked to the left to find the first room of the elven ruins, with Keira's portal still functioning.

"Well, we've managed to cross. This was where the Wild Hunt was," Keira said as Geralt sighed in frustration.

"Which means they're way of ahead of us."

"We can still catch up to them," Ruby said optimistically as she rushed to the right, up a flight of stairs. However, she immediately stopped in tracks at what was in front of her. It was a pair of golems, but they will completely frozen and covered in frost. Geralt then looked at the frozen constructs.

"They took out the sentries."

"At least we now know that the Hunt haven't come for a friendly chat with the elf," Keira remarked as Geralt and Ruby began to climb the ruined remains of steps.

"You think they might've," Geralt replied sarcastically as he helped Ruby up over a stair section that had broken away. The group passed by another golem that had been frozen in mid-attack before entering another door into a very large cavern. Torches surrounded the room, and on the far side of it were the Wild Hunt. The navigator of the group casted a spell in Elder Speech, opening another portal. The leader of the group wore the black skeletal armor of the Wild Hunt complete with the skull helmet. However, the helmet had several spikes pointing upward, making it look like a crown. The leader then spoke to the navigator in Elder Speech, and said navigator replied with a nod.

Geralt, Ruby, and Keira then rushed down into the lower level of the room, where six pillars stood in it, all parallel to each other. The navigator then faced them from atop of a staircase before casting a spell.

" _Shaent tah'vir!"_

With a wave of his staff, an orb of light emerged from it before bursting and pulsing. Suddenly, three spherical portals, all black with silver outlines, appeared, frost and snow pouring out from it. With his work done, the navigator walked away and joined his companions. Geralt, Ruby, and Keira shielded themselves from the frost, with Ruby hugging her cloak around her.

"What is this," she shouted over the howling of wind as Geralt answered her.

"The mage summoned the White Frost. It's a powerful magic capable of freezing entire worlds. Keira, do you think you can seal those portals?"

"They're too far! We have to get closer. I'll shield us with Demetia Crest's Surge!"

Before Ruby could ask what that was, Keira casted the spell.

" _Da'arian annoi"_ she incanted as she waved her hands in a circle, light glowing from her fingers. Suddenly, a translucent white dome appeared over them. It was around eighteen feet in diameter.

"Stay close," she said as they began to walk forward, the shield protecting them from the piercing cold and wind. They soon found themselves in front of the first portal. Keira then held her hands out in front of her and concentrated.

" _Bhain'ne calar_ ," she shouted as she began to concentrate on the portal. She waved her hands in a circular motion, her right one flowing with magic. However, two creatures emerged from the portal. They were hound beasts, just like the ones that had chased Geralt and Ruby on their path to Vizima.

"Keep them off me," Keira shouted as Geralt and Ruby took out their crossbows. Both them aimed and fired, hitting one of the beasts in the shoulder while the other took a bolt to the leg. They continued to pelt the two beasts with bolts, and soon one of the beasts fell dead. However, the remaining beast charged forward and broke into the shield. Geralt responded by pointing his palm at the beast and casting _Igni_. The beast was burned with a stream of red hot embers, and let out a screech before dying.

" _Ann Gal Scam'Hanach,_ " Keira shouted as she finished a spell's incantation, and the first portal closed. Keira let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm beginning to think we might make it."

"Don't relax just yet. There's still two more portals," Geralt said as they moved onto the second one. Keira once again casted her spell. But this time three of the hounds ran out of the portal. Ruby quickly took out two Dancing Stars from her knapsack and tossed them at the hounds. The three beasts screeched as they were engulfed in flames. A surviving beast managed to break through the shield, but Geralt finished it off by stabbing it in the head with his silver sword. Keira finished her incantation as the second portal closed.

"Just one more," Ruby said as they then moved on towards to the final portal. However, this time, four beast rushed out of the portal as Keira began the incantation of her spell. Geralt and Ruby took out their sword and scythe, as the four beast entered through the shield. Geralt quickly casted _Igni_ as the beasts were hit with a wave of flame. He then followed it up with a concentrated version of the spell, spraying them with embers. His spell soon ended and Geralt charged, swiping away at them with his silver sword. One of the hounds soon made it past Geralt and tackled Ruby.

The young huntress was pushed out of the shield and into the freezing cold of the White Frost. She raised Rosebud in an overhead strike and impaled the beast on its blade. Frost suddenly began to form on her boots and her cloak. Geralt, meanwhile, killed the last of the hounds beheading it. He noticed Ruby was out of the shield. The witcher then rushed out of the shield, grabbed the girl with his free arm, and pulled her back inside.

"You alright," he asked as Ruby shivered, still suffering from the cold.

"Y-yeah," she said as he let go of her. Keira finally closed the last of the portals, and dropped her shield. However, she then began to sway side to side, and placed her hand on her head.

"What's wrong?"

"This… took a great deal of power out of me," she said as she suddenly collapsed, but Geralt caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Just don't faint on me."

"Now, in your firm embrace? Not on your life," Keira said as Ruby then Ruby her arms, trying to get rid of the cold. She then turned to the witcher and the sorceress.

"Uh, guys. I'd like to stay and rest as well, but we have to deal with the Wild Hunt, y'know."

"Right. Let's get a move on," Geralt said as he righted Keira up. The three then went up the staircase but suddenly stopped. Their pathway was cut off by a pile of stones and rubble. The witcher let out a grunt of frustration.

"Damnit, they cut us off! Maybe I can-"

"Leave this to me," Keira said as she stood in front of the rubble. She than began to blast the rubble with white lightning. The rubble soon dissipated, revealing a doorway. Ruby blinked in surprise at this.

"Was that a debris clearing spell?"

"Now, it's used to dispel illusions. Now come."

The three then went through the doorway and down into another room. The room was lit by torches, and the three now stood in an area that was elevated from the rest of the room. Geralt hopped down before helping Ruby and Keira. They then turned to face the one lone person in the room.

The person was a Wild Hunt warrior. He was tall and muscular, and wore the familiar skeletal armor. His helmet had a pentagonal piece of metal welded to the forehead of it, and his cauldrons had a row of spikes at the top and bottom of it. Tattered and worn red cloth was attached to his rerebraces. Strapped to his side was a two-handed longsword, Part of the hilt bended downward, acting like a guard. As the warrior approached he took his weapon off of his back. It was a large, two handed, bearded axe. A sharp hook was attached to the axe's butt, and it had a haft made of dark metal.

"I admit, you are some stubborn, _dh'oine_ ," the warrior said in a deep, demonic voice as he grasped his axe. He was Nithral, one of the Wild Hunt's fiercest warriors. Geralt stepped forwards and unsheathed his steel sword. Ruby took out Rosebud while Keira prepared another spell. Nithral then charged forward as he let out his battle cry.

" _Aen Elle!_ "

Next Time - Nithral, Warrior of the Wild Hunt

* * *

 **A/N:** And here's another chapter of _White Wolf and Red Hood_ , and currently the longest one that I've written.

And here we have what's more or less a dungeon crawl in chapter form. You can make a drinking game out of this chapter: take a drink every time the word "stair", "staircase", or "engraving" appears. And next chapter will be Ruby's first battle with the Wild Hunt.

And I have some good news: I am currently on Spring Break! I started it off by going to see _Logan_. It was a great movie, and a good send off to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Anyway, I plan to spend my break visiting a few of my relatives (including my grandma and aunt), finishing up reading _The Last Wish_ , doing some more writing, and binging _Game of Thrones_ (halfway done with Season 4 as of now).

Anyway, please leave a review, and don't forgot to fave or follow. I'll see you all next update.


	10. Nithral, Warrior of the Wild Hunt

**Chapter 10: Nithral, Warrior of the Wild Hunt**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former belongs to Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red while the latter belongs to Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Elvish Ruins, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

Nithral charged forward and sung down his axe in a two-handed grip. Geralt dodged to the left while Ruby used her semblance to go to the right. Keira, meanwhile, fired off two lightning strikes at Mithral. The warrior was barely fazed by the spell as he turned his attention to Geralt, who he perceived as the biggest threat in the room.

"I wonder how long you'll last," he said as he swung his axe again. The witcher parried the blow and quickly deliver a strike from his sword. He followed it up with a quick cast of _Aard_. Nithral stumbled back from the spell as Geralt took the chance to go on the offense. He used quick and swift strikes on Nithral's midsection. Ruby the charged from behind the warrior, striking him twice with the blade of Rosebud.

Nithral turned his attention to the young girl. He had decided to ignore the girl at first, not seeing her as a threat. His main concern was the witcher, who he had wanted to take out first before moving on to the women. However, his mind was changed as he advanced towards the girl.

The warrior swung his axe down at the Ruby but she quickly dodged the blow. Nithral followed up with several swings of his axe, trying to hit the huntress with it. However, Ruby was just too fast for Nithral to hit. Ruby reared Rosebud back and brought it forward, hitting Nithral in the right shoulder and knocking off his pauldron. Nithral snarled as he glared at the girl.

"You will pay for that, _dh'oine_ ," he said as he tightened his grip on his axe and reared it back. However, he was too distracted by Ruby to focus on his other two opponents. Geralt took this time to cast another _Aard_ while Keira used a levitation spell on the broken remains of a pillar. Geralt's spell hit Nithral, causing him to stumble and break out of his battle pose. Keira then threw the broken pillar pieces, which impacted against Nithral's torso. Ruby, meanwhile, planted Rosebud in the ground by its blade and brought out her crossbow. A broadhead bolt was loaded into the weapon, and Ruby took aim at Nithral's unarmored shoulder. She fired the bolt at Nithral, which pierced his shoulder. Nithral let out a grunt of pain as he looked over at Ruby. The young huntress loaded another bolt into her crossbow and fired it again. This time, however, Nithral caught the bolt with his free hand and then crushed it like a twig. Ruby stepped back and placed her crossbow on her back before grabbing Rosebud. The warrior advanced towards the girl before he a sword strike on his back. He turned around to see Geralt holding his sword with both hands.

"You really should be paying attention," he quipped as he dodged a blow from Nithral's axe. The witcher then dodged to the right to avoid getting jabbed by the axe's hook. Geralt parried the next blow before spotting an opening. He took it by swiping his blade at Nithral's stomach. The rune on Geralt's sword easily able to cut through Nithral's armor, causing him to bleed from his stomach. The warrior let out a shout of pain as he suddenly got down to one knee, planting his axe in the ground.

Nithral then suddenly clenched his fist, and an ice blue barrier suddenly surrounded him, like Geralt's _Quen_ sign. With a flash, he suddenly teleported to across the room to the middle of where four pillars were. The barrier around him was still active. Ruby stared at in confusion while Geralt renewed his battle stance.

"What is he doing," Ruby asked and was soon answered has two portals opened up behind of Nithral. Four hounds of the wild hunt rushed out of the portals and snarled at the group. The hounds then charged forward as Geralt prepared a sign and Ruby took a bomb off her belt. As soon as the hounds were within range they launched their attacks, with Geralt casting _Igni_ and Ruby throwing a Dancing Star bomb. Fire engulfed the four beasts and they let out screams of pain as they burned. One hound, who had managed to survive the inferno, limped out towards them. Keira simply blasted the beast with a lightning spell, ending the creature's life. Suddenly the barrier around Nithral disappeared and the warrior stood up, axe in hand.

" _Salah vatt'ghern_ ," Nithral shouted as he charged Geralt with his axe. He swung and Geralt parried the blow with his sword. Nithral delivered another strike with his axe, which the witcher swiftly dodhed around before delivering a blow of his own to the warrior's back. Keira, launched more stones at Nithral while Ruby grabbed the remaining bomb on her belt and tossed it. Nithral was pelted by the stones, and the bomb exploded right on his armor, causing him to stumble. The warrior regained his focus as he charged towards Geralt, his weapon reared back.

" _Bloede varh'he,_ " he shouted at the top of his lungs. He suddenly closed the distance between him and the witcher, and swung his axe forward. Geralt couldn't react in time, and was struck in the abdomen with the axe's blade. The blow made him fell back and stumble right into a pillar, knocking down a torch that was being held by the pillar. His steel sword flew out of his grip and hit against one of the cavern walls. It blade then broke into three pieces as it made impact and then clattered on the ground.

"Geralt," Ruby shouted in worry as she looked at the witcher before turning towards Nithral. Gripping Rosebud, she dashed forward with her semblance and slashed as Nithral's back. She continued on with her assault, not giving the warrior any respite as she swung Rosebud's blade at the warrior. She then jumped over his head and swung Rosebud's blade at Nithral's helm, knocking it off and revealing his face.

Nithral's head was completely shaven off, and had the pointed ears that were common on elves. However, across his eyes and the bridge of his nose was a dark war paint, which stood out against his pale skin. The warrior glared at the girl, who held Rosebud in a battle pose. However, both were interrupted when they heard a whistle.

Nithral turned around to see Geralt standing up, looking no worse for wear. In his right hand was the torch that had fell from the pillar. Before Nithral could react, Geralt threw the torch at his face. The warrior screamed as his face was burned and he thrashed about in agony. He finally dropped to his knees and collapsed to the ground, finally dying of his wounds.

Ruby collapsed Rosebud into its compact form before putting it away into the holster. She then approached Geralt as the later stretched out his limbs.

"Are you alright?"

"I've had worse," Geralt replied as he looked down at the broken remains of his steel sword. Ruby picked up the hilt piece of the remains. Geralt then looked down at her, as she inspected the hilt. The blade was broken off about six inches from the hilt, and was broken off at an angle. All in all, the sword now had the appearance of a dagger.

"That's what I get for not maintaining it," he said as he approached Nithral's body. He then took the sword off his belt and inspected it. The blade was a bit curved, as well as the guard and hilt of the weapon. He then unsheathed the weapon and gave it a few experimental swings before sheathing it again.

"This should do in the meantime," Geralt said as he placed the sword on his back. He then turned towards Ruby, who had sheathed the sword hilt in her belt. Geralt cocked an eyebrow at this.

"I think its best that I have another weapon, in case I ever lose Rosebud," she said as Geralt replied with a nod. They then walked over to where Keira had gone off to.

Deep within the back of the room was what looked like a makeshift study. Surrounding the area were several bookshelves, all covered with various tomes and texts. However, several of the books were thrown around the ground and one bookshelf had been knocked down. There was a table and chair that had several pieces of alchemy equipment on it, and a chest with a few barrels and parcels surrounding it. Keira have the area a good look over before arriving at her conclusion.

"If I have my knickers on straight, this looks like the Elf's laboratory," she said as Geralt and Ruby caught up with her. Ruby then cocked her head as she saw another podium containing another morphotic projection. She then sprinted over towards it.

"Hey, look! It's a message for Ciri," she said as Geralt and Keria walked over towards the projection. The elf in the projection then spoke. However, instead of speaking in Elder Speech, it said its message in the common tongue.

" _Zirael_. This place is no longer safe. Do not tarry long here. Trust no one, and above all else, beware the witches of the Crookback Bog. Try to reach the place where last we were together."

With that, the projection then disappeared. Geralt began to ponder on the message.

"'Where last we were together' is not a lot to go on," he said as he approached another swallow engraving on the wall. He grunted in frustration as he kicked the wall. Ruby then approached him.

"Geralt, I think its best that he didn't give us a straight message. The Wild Hunt were here, and they probably saw the message. We wouldn't them to have any clues."

"Good point. They probably searched the whole place and would of torn it to the ground if they have time. But we're back to square one. We've learned nothing new about the elf or Ciri."

"Well, let's go on with what we have now," Ruby said, trying to remain optimistic about the situation. She then put her hand to her chin as she thought things over.

"We know that they knew each other, and the elf did mention something about some witches from the Crookback Swamp."

"It's the Crookback Bog," Keira said as walked up towards the two. Geralt narrowed his eyes at the sorceress, suspicious of her and her actions. He then walked towards her and become confrontational. Keria started to slowly inch back as the witcher approached her.

"Keira, if you're hiding something-"

"But I didn't say-"

Before Geralt could speak any more, he felt something faintly shake his waist. He turned back to see Ruby trying to restrain him. However, due to their noticeable height difference, this came off as looking rather comical.

"Geralt! Calm down and get off Keira's case! Just because she's correcting me doesn't mean she's hiding something!"

"Fine," Geralt grunted as he managed to break free of Ruby's grasp. I had to admit that he acted a bit brash for a moment. He then turned back to Keira.

"You know these witches?"

"Haven't meet them, but I have read texts about them. It was in an old manuscript that I found in one of the village's huts. It mentioned that the village witches would go into the Crookback Bog to act as a liaison between the villagers and the Crones, the Ladies of the Woods. The Crones are intolerant of outsiders, but they do help the local folk from time to time. They apparently stopped the spread of the plague in Velen."

"Hm. So what's your take on it?"

"Normally, I'd write off as the nattering of old biddies, but…"

Keira let out a sigh before continuing on, suddenly becoming unnerved on what she recalled.

"I had horrible nightmares during my first fortnight in Velen. Something was calling me out into the Swamps. One night, I decided to consciously enter the dream and render it lucid. I confronted the… whatever it was, directly. It broke contact immediately. Ever since then, I've had peaceful dreams."

"So how do we find the witches," Ruby asked as Keira looked down at her as she explained.

"The swamps are vast and dangerous, and many have gotten lost within them. However, the crones mark the way for peasants who want to visit them. The manuscript mentions a chapel in the Bog, and from the chapel, you must follow the Trial of Treats."

Ruby perked up at this, since it sounded like a story that Yang once read to her when she was younger. Geralt, however, was more confused than anything.

"Treats?"

"Ah, I forgot. They never read you any bedtime stories at Kaer Morhen. Every child and the normal folk know that witches live in house made of gingerbread poised atop chicken legs."

"I'll see it when I believe it," Geralt said as Keira brought out a book from a bag that she carried. She then handed the book to Geralt. It was titled _Ladies of the Wood_.

"Take this and read it. I truly believe you'll find Cirilla. Now, let's find a way out of here."

"Good idea," Geralt said as he gave the book to Ruby, who then put it in her knapsack. The group looked around the room for an exit of some sort. Geralt went over to the chest and searched through it, discovering a few ingredients used in alchemy. He collected them, gave them to Ruby and then continued his search. His medallion suddenly began to tremble as he approached what appeared to be a blank wall.

"Odd. My medallion's trembling, but there's nothing magical here. There's something up with this wall."

Keira and Ruby walked over to him, and inspected it as well. The sorceress then began to search through her bag as she began to explain things.

"It's an illusion. I had a feeling we'd encounter something like this down here, so that's why I brought this."

Keira brought the item she was searching for and showed it to them. It was a small, circular trinket, that had many intersecting lines on it, like a circle maze. Four points jagged out from the circle, like the points on a compass. Geralt simply eyed the trinket.

"And…?"

"It's called the Eye of Nehaleni, and it can dispel illusions. It's simple enough to make, so you can keep this one. It's bound to come in handy. And each time it works, you'll think of me."

"So how does it work," Ruby asked as Geralt took the Eye placed it front of the doorway. The eye suddenly glowed a pale green light, and the illusion slowly dispelled in front of them. Ruby's eyes widened in awe as Keria let out a brief chuckle.

"Simple: it works with magic. Now, let's see where this leads to."

All three of them went down the hall and stopped as they found a dead end that split off into two paths, one going left and the other going right. They all felt a draft of fresh air coming from the right direction.

"Hm, we're close to the exit," Geralt said as he turned towards the right. He and Ruby walked towards the right, but Keira stopped in her tracks and suddenly remembered something.

"I almost forgot! The magic lamp!"

"The magic what?"

"Lamp. The elf promised me it as payment. And since his return is doubtful, I'll have to retrieve it myself. If I can find it. Will you help me?"

Geralt thought over this for a minute as he weighed his options. After a minute of silence, he gave the sorceress his answer.

"Fine. We'll help."

"Splendid. This way," Keira said as she went to the left, casting a light spell to illuminate their path. They went down the hall and came into a large room. Four statues were in the room, all aligned together. In front of each of the statues were a brazier used for oil lamps. Lastly, in the middle of the second and third statue was a door with some inscription written on it. Geralt went up to the door and began to read the inscription. He turned to Keira as she approached the door.

"Can you translate this? I can decipher maybe a third, but it doesn't make sense."

"Give me a moment. I was never very good at the high variant of Elder Speech," she said as looked over the inscription. After half a minute, she gave an answer.

"This might seem a bit literal, and I'm afraid I can't replicate the sophisticated internal rhymes."

"Can you translate it to make sense," Ruby asked as Keira replied with a nod and began to translate.

"'Four guardians, four flames, standing proud in a line. The First to light his fire dared not march on the end. The Second, by the First, played a woeful lament. The Third kept close to his faithful beast. The Fourth marched not beside the First, yet like the Second, played a tune. And thus they stood o'er their queen, who slept beneath flickering stars.'"

Ruby simply blinked in confusion at the translation.

"That… didn't make sense at all."

"It's a riddle," Geralt said as he looked over at the statues. "We have to light braziers in a certain order."

"Oh," Ruby said in a moment of realization. Geralt, meanwhile, looked at the nearest, stature, which was the third one in the line. Said statue was a robed man who held out his hands in prayer. Acting on a hunch, Geralt moved his fingers and casted _Igni_ , the brazier lighting up in green flame.

Ruby then looked around the room and went over to the second statue. It was also a statue of a robed man who held a lute in his hands. Ruby then thought to herself.

"The riddle said that the second one would be next to the first, and would be playing a song," she said aloud before she turned to the witcher.

"Geralt, light up this one."

The witcher replied with a nod and casted _Igni_ , lighting up the brazier in green flame. Geralt then went over to the fourth statue, which had what looked like a mountain lion next to it. Remembering the riddle, Geralt lit up the fourth brazier, each of them now illuminating the room in green light. Seeing that only one was left, the witcher went over to the first brazier and lit it up with a cast of _Igni_.

The door between the second and third statues suddenly slide down open, causing the room to rumble a bit.

"Open sesame," Ruby said jokingly as the three of them went inside of the door. At the end of the hallway was what looked like a shrine of some sort. It was surrounded by candles, and on top of the stone monument was an engraving of a seagull. Ruby looked at the engraving.

"Is that another swallow?"

"No, it's the mark of the gull," Geralt said as he looked over the shrine. "If I didn't know where she was buried, I'd say that this was Lara Dorren's tomb."

"Perhaps it's a monument to her," Keira suggested, but Geralt shook his head at that.

"Can't see the elves commemorating her this way. To some, she's the heroine of a tragic legend. But most see her as a traitor to her race who got her just desserts for marrying Cregannan of Lod."

"Perhaps the elven mage is Lara's kin. It would explain why he's helping Ciri," Keria said as she picked up a lamp that was near the shrine. The lamp consisted of a narrow, light blue crystal that had a black base and top that held it, and on the top, was a handle.

"Is that what you're looking for?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Is it the kind of lamp that holds a genie," Ruby asked in curiosity as she looked up at the lamp. Keria gave her reply to the young huntress.

"No, djinn are usually kept in clay jars that have a magic seal on it. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure out how this one works. Now, let's leave this place, shall we?"

* * *

 _A Few Minutes Later…_

Geralt, Ruby, and Keira soon found themselves outside the mouth of a cave that lead into the ruins. The entryway had been hidden under another illusion, which Geralt had dispelled using the Eye of Nehaleni. The three were near a lake, and a sailboat was nearby it. It was now early into the night, and a cloudless sky was casted overhead. Geralt took in a breath of fresh air, now glad to be out of the cave. Ruby, meanwhile, stood by the sailboat.

"So, do you two plan to venture into the Crookback Bog," Keria asked Geralt, who responded with a simple shrug.

"Don't think I'll get a chance."

"Geralt, there are two types of people in the world: those who see opportunity and take advantage, and those who forge the opportunities themselves. I've always thought of you as the latter. Besides, I have a favor for you. Will you visit me?"

"We'll stop by when we have the chance."

"In that case, I'll be waiting," Keira said as she turned towards the lake. Magic glowed in her hands and she then slammed them together, causing a portal to open. Keira stepped into it, and the portal then suddenly closed. Ruby let out a sigh as she sat on the ground.

"What a day. At least we now have a lead on Ciri."

Geralt replied with a nod. He then whistled, and Roach suddenly came running towards them from the forest. Ruby blinked in surprise as the mare stopped in front of its master.

"How does she know where to find you?"

"I've never really thought about that myself," Geralt answered as he got on the horse and helped Ruby get on as well. "Let's find ourselves a place to make camp for the night."

With that, the two then road off from the ruins and off into the woods as the stars shined above them.

Next Time - Order of the Flaming Rose

* * *

 **A/N:** And here's another chapter of _White Wolf and Red Hood_.

Sorry about how long it took to update. I've been busy with updating my other fanfic _Of Reapers and Ninja_ (a collaboration between me and my friend and beta Rocker1600, whose fics you should check out because they're awesome). I've also been a bit busy with school as of lately.

Anyway, I have a shoutout to make to DovahCourier. He came up with the suggestion of Geralt's sword getting broken in the fight with Nithral, and Ruby taking the hilt piece of the sword as a dagger. She'll use it eventually, but Rosebud will still remain her primary weapon. And I should also mention that the way how Geralt finished off Nithral is a shoutout to _The Fellowship of the Ring_ (with Aragorn finishing off one of the Nazgul at Weathertop in a similar fashion).

Anyway, please leave a review (as I appreciate feedback), and don't forget to fave or follow. I'll see you guys all next update.


	11. Order of the Flaming Rose

**Chapter 11: Order of the Flaming Rose**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former is owned by CD Projekt Red and Andrej Sapkowski while the former is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[The Strong Cook Inn, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

Geralt bit a chunk out of a soft, warm loaf of bread. He chewed and swallowed it before picking up a slice of cheese and piece of mutton from his plate and eating them as well. He then picked up his mug of cold, refreshing ale and took a sip of it.

It had been a few days since Ruby and Geralt had meet up with Keira. Since then, they had taken on a rather simple contract to clear out a nest of ghouls that had been plaguing a local village. Necrophages had become more common because of the war between Nilfgaard and Redenia, and that meant more work for witchers like Geralt. After collecting their reward from the ealdorman, the two decided to spend the night at a local inn. The witcher admitted it was nice to enjoy eating fresh food after spending so much time on the road eating food preserved for travel.

The witcher placed his mug back down on the table as he looked at the empty chair across from him. Ruby had finished her meal some time ago, her meal was some ham, bread, a glass of cow's milk, and some fresh strawberries. The young huntress had finished her meal in a heartbeat. After that, Ruby had decided to challenge the patrons of the inn to Gwent. Geralt then looked over to where Ruby was. She was currently engaging in a round of Gwent against a skinny bearded man in a coif and leather jerkin. She had been playing the game with the bar patrons for who knew how long. The young huntress smiled as he placed a card down on the table and smiled.

"I win," she said cheerfully as her opponent groaned in annoyance, placing his hand down in defeat. The man handed Ruby her winnings, some crowns, and a rather rare Gwent card. Ruby took them and went back over to her table. Geralt took another sip of his drink as he commented on Ruby's winnings.

"Hm, you've beaten everyone here. If your career as huntress doesn't take off, you could always become a professional Gwent player."

"Nah, I've wanted to be a huntress ever since I was little," Ruby said as she looked at the cards she had won. She had received a somewhat rare card of a man named Vernon Roche. Roche was the commander of the Blue Stripes, the special forces of the now defunct Temerian army. She had also received a card of Renuald aep Matsen (meant to be used in a Nilfgaardian deck), three Blue Strips Commando cards, and a Dol Blathanna Archer card (which was used in a Scoia'tael deck). Asides from the new cards, Ruby had won a hefty amount of money, around 150 crowns in total.

"So, what are we going to do next," Ruby asked as she stored away her cards and winnings in her knapsack. Geralt finished off the rest of his beer as he answered.

"We're going to start investigating the Baron's missing wife and daughter. Our best lead so far is to visit a pellar who lives some ways off near Crow's Perch. The Baron's wife visited him before going missing. And he gave her this."

Geralt then took out a wooden amulet from his pocket. It was simple in design apart from some intricate carvings on it. Ruby looked at the amulet in curiosity.

"What is it?"

"It's a talisman, which is simple enough to make by any mage. It offers protection against specific things for whoever wears it. What we need to find from the pellar is what this one protects against."

The door of the inn suddenly opened, and the two turned their heads towards it. Six men stepped into the room. They all wore matching red leather armor, with red leather kilt pieces. The only parts of the armor that weren't red were the bicep area of the armor and most the armor's chest. Instead, these parts were black. The black biceps parts were spiked. On the black chest of their armor were a sigil. Said sigil was of a red rose surrounded by fire. The leader of the man stepped forward. He had a grim-looking face, with cropped, brown hair and a goatee. A scar ran across his left cheek, and his right eye was covered with a leather eye patch. Draped around his shoulders was a white cloak. On his side was a broadsword that had an engraved hilt. The sword's pommel was in the shape of a rose. On his back was a red colored heater shield that had the same flaming rose shield that was on his chest.

"Can I help you," the inn keep asked the leader. The leader turned to him and spoke in a deep voice.

"Yes. I am Gunnar, knight of the Order of the Flaming Rose. My men and I would like a table, along with a flagon of wine and some bread."

"Right away, good sirs," the inn keep said as he showed them to their table. It was a bit away from where Geralt and Ruby sat. The inn keep then came back with a tall flagon of red wine with cups, and a plate of with a large loaf of bread with a bread knife for slicing. Ruby turned back to Geralt and began to ask him questions.

"What's the Order of the Flaming Rose?"

"They were one of the military arms of the Church of the Eternal Fire, made up of the remnants of the Order of the White Rose. They were formed to protect the poor and downtrodden from evil, and to spread the word of their relgion, the Eternal Fire. However, they've trade the first goal for a new one."

"And what's that?"

"Burning people alive that they consider heretics."

Ruby blanched at the witcher's words.

"Who do they consider heretics?"

"Mages, non-humans, people who don't confirm to their beliefs," Geralt answered as he picked at the remaining bits of his meal.

"Strange thing is, King Radovid V of Redenia disbanded the Order some time ago, and the remaining members moved to the east. I don't know about these members."

Geralt then picked up another piece of meat from his plate while Ruby looked over at the Order members. The young huntress then overheard some of them talking about business.

"What did the reports say about this place, Gunnar," a black bearded man asked as Gunnar poured a glass of wine.

"The reports say that a heretic has been hiding out in this village for three months, Rickard," Gunnar answered as he took a bite out of a slice of bread before following it up with a sip of wine.

"Excuse me, but what do you want to do with this person," Ruby asked as she interrupted the members.

"None of your business, girl," Gunnar said bluntly as he took another bite of his bread. Ruby was taken back by the knight's rudeness. Geralt finished up the last bits of his meal.

"I think it's time we turn in for the night. Come on, we can finally get a hot bath in before that."

Ruby replied with a nod and followed the witcher up the stairs. She quickly looked back at the Order members with a concerned look on her face.

* * *

 _A few hours later…_

Ruby stared up into the ceiling of the room, lying flat on a bed. Geralt lied on a bed adjacent to hers, sleeping peacefully. The witcher was sleeping in his armor, having took off his harness and boots. Ruby was still sleeping in her outfit. Being away from Remnant and stuck in a strange world like the Northern Kingdoms made her miss the simple comforts in life like pajamas. However, that thing was small when compared to what was currently on her mind.

The talks that the Order knights had been having concerned her. They talked about seeking out a "heretic" in the village. From what Geralt said about the Order's practices, they were going to burn her alive. She couldn't rest while knowing that an innocent person would be killed. Ruby then got up and sat on the bed. She then noticed something outside of the room's window. She quickly got up and looked out it.

Marching out in the streets were the Order of the Flaming Rose, armed with torches and weapons. Ruby knew that they were going after this "heretic". Moving quickly and quietly, she walked out of the room and down the stairs, walking outside of the inn. She followed the Order knights, walking twenty paces behind and sticking to the shadows. Finally, the Order arrived in front of a tailor's shop. Gunnar kicked the door open with his foot and barged in, the rest of his men following him.

"What are they doing," Ruby said to herself as she reached on her back for Rosebud. However, all she grabbed was empty air. She then remembered that she left Rosebud back at the inn room. She quickly searched her belt for any other weapons before she founded her sword-dagger, pulling it out of her belt. Ruby admitted that she felt unfamiliar with the weapon. She had been trained to use a scythe be her Uncle Qrow ever since she was young. She had always relied on her sweetheart, Crescent Rose. She always relied on it. The sword dagger felt small and strange in her hands. And she felt practically naked without her scythe. However, she had to rely on it now, as it was too late to run back to the inn to get Rosebud. She then saw the knight named Rickard drag a woman out of the shop.

The woman had brown hair, and wore a simple green dress with a white blouse. However, what stood out about her was her ears. They were pointed. Ruby recognized this trait belonging to an elf.

"Please, let me be," the elf woman cried out in fear as two of the Order knights threw their torches into her shop.

"Quiet, whore," Rickard shouted as she struck her hard across the face. Ruby's grip tightened on her dagger as she watched the events unfold before her eyes. She remembered when Yang use to tell her stories about heroes like knights. In those stories, knights were honorable people who would defend the weak and poor, defeating villains and wrongdoers. These were the kind of people that Ruby aspired to be like. These men in front of her called themselves knights, but were proving themselves to be anything but.

Acting rashly, Ruby rushed out in a burst of her semblance and kicked Rickard in the back, hard. This caused the man to stumble and loose his grip on the elf woman. Ruby quickly turned to the woman, who looked back at her in shock and gratitude.

"Run," the young huntress shouted, and the elf quickly heeded her advice. The rest of the knights tried to advance after her, but Ruby stood in their way, bold and defiant.

"You're a brave little lass, aren't you," Gunnar replied coolly as her unsheathed his sword. Rickard, however, rushed passed his leader with his sword drawn. He tried to strike Ruby down, but she was too quick, and the young huntress quickly stabbed him in the thigh where there was a gap in his armor.

"Fucking tart," Rickard roared in pain as Ruby used her semblance again to rush pass him.

"She's usin' witchcraft," one of the knights shouted as Ruby dodged a sword blow. She then swiftly dodged pass another man who tried to stab her with a pike. The man again thrusted his spear at her, but Ruby parried it with her dagger. Ruby then turned around as she saw Gunnar walking towards her. Ruby used her semblance once again rush forward. She stretched out and tried to stab Gunnar with her sword dagger. However, the man simply deflected that with a strike from his shield. Before Ruby could react any further, the knight strike her on the head with the flat of his blade, knocking her out cold.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Geralt woke up with a jump, sweating dripping down his brow. He had that dream again, the same one he had discussed with Vesemir before arriving at White Orchard. It was a dream in which he was training with Ciri when she was young. However, that dream quickly turned into nightmare when the Wild Hunt had arrived, covering the fortress of Kaer Morhen with ice and frost. Ciri has been frozen solid, and Geralt had been struck down when he tried to stop them. The dream had always ended at that part.

Geralt looked around the room before she noticed that Ruby was missing. Geralt would of usually took as a sign that she had went to use the outhouse. However, something felt off about this. The witcher quickly put on his boots and took his steel sword with him, just in case if anything would happen. Geralt then walked out of the room and went outside of the inn. He noticed that a fire had broken out at one of the shops of the village. Geralt had guessed that this was the Order's handiwork, trying to seek out the so-called heretic. Geralt then put two and two together.

"Ruby must have been woken by the fire, and went to investigate," he concluded as he looked around. The witcher couldn't find any tracks of Ruby on the ground, so he did the next best thing and sniffed the air. The smell of smoke filled the air, but he still detected the distinct scent of roses among it. Geralt then went off and followed the scent. As he did so, he remembered a saying that Vesemir had told him when he was training at Kaer Morhen: when in doubt, follow your nose, as it always knows.

* * *

[Order of the Flaming Rose campsite]

Conciousness quickly returned to Ruby, and she was quickly greeted by a bright fire in front of her. Her ears then picked up a prayer by said by the Order knights:

" _Eternal Fire. Enlighten, burn and cleanse._

 _Protect us and shower us with your light._

 _For the night is dark and full of terrors._

 _Ignite the darkness, and spread your warmth."_

Ruby quickly looked around her and saw the knights kneeling before a great big bonfire. The flames crackled and illuminated the area around him. Her hands had been bounded with rope. She then noticed Gunnar approaching her. His sword was in his hands, covered in an oil of some sort. Sheathed in his bely was Ruby's sword dagger. The knight looked down at her with his good eye.

"Ah, the lady awakes."

"W-what are you doing with me? Why did you attack that elf?"

"You interfered with our business with the elf. And you used witchcraft in full view of us. As for why we attacked the elf, it is simple. She is an abomination in the views of the Eternal Fire, a heretic. And like all heretics, she must be burned in fire."

Ruby's eyes widened at the knight's words before they narrowed again.

"You call yourselves knights, but you're the furthest thing from one! You're nothing but the lowest of scum!"

"It matters not what you think of me. Soon, you will pay for your crimes, and be purified in fire."

Ruby's eyes widened at his words before she started to struggle in her binds. However, she was soon distracted, along with the rest of the camp, when a rustling was heard in the bushes. Geralt suddenly walked out of the bushes, and looked over the campsite.

Rickard was the first of the men to react immediately. He charged forth with his sword, but Geralt nonchalantly backhanded him once he came into range. Rickard then crashed into a tree. Gunnar stared at the witcher as he turned his attention away from Ruby.

"I'd have a feeling you'd arrive sooner or later, witcher."

"Yes, and I believe you have a friend of mine."

"I will not give you the girl, witcher. She must pay for her crimes of witchcraft at the stake," Gunnar replied vigilantly. Geralt glared at the knight before speaking to him. His voice was calm but there was venom it.

"You've attacked an innocent person simply trying to live out her life, and plan to burn a young girl on a pyre. What brave and noble knights you are."

"Don't you mock us, freak" one of the knights shouted at Geralt who simply ignored them. The witcher then continued his attention on Gunnar.

"All I'm wondering is why you're still around. King Radovid disbanded your order over a year ago."

"It matters not of the King disbanded us. We still continue our all for the Eternal Fire."

Geralt simply snorted at this.

"You have any honor in you, then face me in single combat for the girl's freedom. We'll use swords, and I won't use any of my Signs."

Gunnar thought this proposal over before answering Geralt.

"Very well," he said as he approached the bonfire and suddenly swiped his sword over it. The blade suddenly caught on fire, illuminating through the night. The knight always applied a flammable oil to his blade and preferred to light it on fire. It served as good intimidation tactic. Gunnar's men gave him a wide berth as he approached Geralt, flaming sword and shield in hand. Ruby watched the scene intently as Geralt took out his steel sword and held it in his hands.

Gunnar made the first move, bring his flaming sword down. Geralt swiftly dodged the first blow and parried the following one with a flick of his blade. Geralt then quickly followed it up a strike of his own. Gunnar endured the force the blows by raising his shield to block them. As soon as Geralt gave him a reprieve he struck, hitting the witcher with a swing of his shield before thrusting his sword out. The blade hit Geralt in his side. Ruby's eyes widened as Geralt let out a grunt of pain.

"Is that all you got, Witcher," Gunnar taunted as he Geralt resumed his grip on his blade. The witcher quickly parried his next strike before kicking him in the chest. The kick forced Gunnar to his knees as Geralt raised his sword to block the witcher's blade. However, Geralt's blade cut through the flaming sword and buried deep into the knight's shoulder before stopping at his stomach. Geralt pulled his blade out as Gunnar collapsed on the ground dead. While lighting his sword on fire served as a good intimidation tactic, it had weakened the blade considerably. Geralt looked at the rest of the Order, who were in shock at their leader's defeat.

"If you have any honor, you'll let us go," Geralt said as he approached Ruby. No one stopped or challenged him as he cut her from her bonds. The two then left the campsite, but not before Ruby retrieved her sword dagger from Gunnar's corpse.

"You're mad at me, aren't you," Ruby said as the two walked along the forest.

"I'm not. You did what you thought was right. However, you didn't think things through."

Ruby blinked at the witcher's response.

"What do you mean?"

"You did save that the tailor shop owner from getting burned by the Order. However, you didn't really think beyond just that, and acted on your impulses. You even left your scythe back at the inn. What would you do if you couldn't hold off the Order?"

"I… don't know. I just jumped into things, like I always do."

"You'll learn from your mistakes. Thinking things through and preparing are an essential part of my line of work. If I didn't do that, I'd be dead several times over."

The rest of the walk continued in silence as they went back to the inn.

Next Time - To Rescue a Princess

* * *

 **A/N:** And here's another chapter of _White Wolf and Red Hood_.

And this chapter has an group from the books, the Order of the Flaming Rose, formerly known as the Order of the White Rose (insert your own _RWBY_ shipping joke here). However, I soon realized that in the Witcher III, the group had been disbanded some time before the events of the game. I fixed this plot hole by having this group of knights be very fanatic to the cause and continue to due this work in spite of its disbanding by King Radovid.

And I admit this chapter, yet again, takes inspiration from _Game of Thrones_. Namely, I got inspired by the trial by combat between Sandor Clegane and Beric Dondarrion in the episode _Kissed by Fire_. It's honestly one of the best fights in the series, and one of my favorites. And I've made a very on-the-nose _Game of Thrones_ reference in the chapter itself. Whoever spots the reference earns brownie points.

Anyway, please leave reviews, and don't forgot to fave and follow. I'd also _REALLY_ appreciate it if you'd all check out my other RWBY crossover, _Into the Great Wide Open_ , which I updated on Monday (I'd really love some reviews for it). I'll see all next update.


	12. To Rescue a Princess

**White Wolf & Red Hood Chapter 12: To Rescue a Princess**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY_. The former is owned by Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red while the latter is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Near Pellar's Hut, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

Geralt and Ruby rode through the forest on the way to the Pellar's hut. They had left _The Strong Cook Inn_ early in the morning, just in case the remaining members of the Order of the Flaming Rose came back for revenge. They had stocked up on some food for the road. After a few more minutes of traveling, the found themselves right outside of a small hut. The two got off of Roach, and Geralt hitched the mare to a nearby tree.

As the two approached the hut, they then noticed a group of five men outside of it. They were all dressed up in patchwork armor, and all were armed with blackjacks, hand axes, and swords. Geralt immediately recognized them as men who worked for the Bloody Baron. He had saw a few of them hanging around Crow's Perch.

"Open up, ya codger," one of the men shouted. The leader of the men, who was rather fat, turned around and looked at the approaching witcher and huntress.

"Hey, look! Someone's come our way."

"Sod off, ya freak," Another of the men shouted as Geralt and Ruby approached them. The leader then stepped up and approached them.

"What do you want," he asked as the rest of the men surrounded them. Ruby tensed up at this, her hand unconsciously reaching towards Rosebud. Geralt, however, remained relaxed as he talked with the leader.

"We wanna talk to the pellar."

"Well, you're too late. We got dibs on a chat with 'im, and a long one at that."

"You should leave, now," Geralt said as he subtly casted _Axii_ with his left hand. The sign soon afflicted all five of the men, and they let on their way without a single word. Ruby blinked at this in confusion.

"I don't understand. I thought that they were going to make a big fuss about leaving."

" _Axii_ can be a strong influence on the weakminded," Geralt answered as he approached the hut's door and knocked on it. He waited for a few minutes, but there was no answer.

"Anybody home?"

"It's safe now, we sent those guys away," Ruby said, trying to reassure the resident inside. An old sounding voice then spoke up from behind the door.

"Devils! Who do they bring? And what do ye seek?"

"We need your help."

"Ooh, a man, nay, a wolf. Gray, though not old. And with him, a young wolf pup. 'Tis they the pellar awaits."

With that the door in front of them opened, revealing a very old looking man. He was balding, with his remaining white hair on the sides of his head. He wore a green robe that had a brown fur collar around his neck and shoulders, and held up by a simple rope pelt. He kept satchel on the right side of his waist, and he had two necklaces on his neck. The first was a leather pouch kept on a twine string. The second was a necklace that was made up of what looked like the feet of crows. The pellar then let the two in, and they had a good look around at the pellar's home.

The house was rather simple looking, with a table by the window, and candlelight illuminating the room. A book shelf near the back held several items used for alchemy and magic rituals. Decorating the walls of the room were skulls that belonged to deer and elk. Geralt then looked at the pellar, who had his back turned to the witcher.

"You were expecting us."

"Aye, as the bones declared that I should. 'They shall come whose stench is rape and death. But two wolves shall disperse them. The White Wolf and the young wolf pup.' And thus, they come. The Omens never lie."

Ruby tilted her head at the pellar's words. For her, the pellar came off as rather weird, with his way of speaking and how he seemed to be off in his own little world. How could bones predict their arrival, and why did the pellar refer to Geralt and her as wolves? Geralt, meanwhile, took out the talisman from his pocket and showed it to the pellar.

"Recognize this? It's made of spruce wood, and has a strong smell of juniper. Designed to protect somebody."

The pellar walked over and looked down at the talisman. He then recalled something as he looked at it.

"Freshly cut spruce sprinkled with goat's blood, then tempered with an incense of earthsmoke and juniper. For Anna, to protect her."

Ruby got what the pellar was saying and then talked to him.

"Wait, you were the one to make the talisman?"

"Aye. Sure, 'twas the pellar. After the way of his forefathers, over still water, in the light of the full moon. Proper as amulets go. It protected well. She should never 'ave taken it off."

"So it was designed to protect her, but from what," Geralt asked as he crossed his arms.

"Oh, the dear – besieged, she was. Evil all around, wanting to possess her. Old magic born of oblivion, from dark sources emerged."

"Old magic? Can you be more specific?"

"Tis not for mouth speech, nor for the touch. A small protective charm – not a thing more than a pellar could do."

"…what," Ruby said, her head tilted to the side. The pellar's answers only served to confuse her even more.

"The talisman is meant to ward off spirits," Geralt answered her as he turned back towards the pellar.

"Anyway, Anna and her daughter are missing. Do you have idea where they've gone?"

"Nay, no nay. Pellar don't know. But the spirits could know. The pellar will augur, the spirits ask."

Ruby's eyes widened at the mention of spirits. Geralt, on the other hand, responded to the pellar's solution in his usual dry and sarcastic manner.

"Spirits, great, fine with me. As long as we know where to look and where to find them."

The pellar didn't register Geralt's answer as he mumbled off something else.

"Lost, lost… must be found… Princess! None better than Princess for finding things!"

"A princess? Which princess," Geralt asked as the pellar suddenly went outside. Geralt and Ruby followed him.

"How does a pellar like him know a princess," Ruby asked as they stepped outside the door. They found the pellar at a small pen meant for keeping an animal. It was right next to a small herb garden. The pellar suddenly looked distressed at the empty pen.

"Princess! My goat, she's gone!"

"Hm, those men must have scared her off. Can we get back to the auguring," Geralt said, completely unconcerned about the pellar's missing pet.

"Without the goat? Impossible. With no goat, it won't work."

"You're joking, right," Ruby said as the pellar continued to lament the loss of the goat. Geralt simply shook his head and sighed. Never in all his lifetime would he think he would be chasing down a goat. However, if this would help them find Anna and her daughter, then he would do it. He then gave the pellar his offer.

"Will you help us if we bring the goat back?"

"Princess, Princess. Where've you gone to girl," the pellar said, not even registering Geralt's offer. The witcher pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Fine, we'll get your goat," Geralt said as he and Ruby began to walk off. However, the pellar suddenly came back to reality as he realized something. He then walked up to the witcher and huntress and brought something out of his satchel. It was a simple looking brass bell with a wooden handle.

"The bell! The little bell's ringing – she loves it! Ring, ring, and she will follow! Uh, for a while, that is."

Ruby took the bell out of the pellar's hands and gave it a ring. It let out a nice, chiming sound. However, the pellar then gave the witcher and the huntress a grave warning as his voice turned serious.

"But beware of wild strawberries. Raspberries as well."

"Yeah, treacherous as beasts go. I always keep an eye out for 'em," Geralt replied, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm. The pellar didn't pick up on it as the two walked off from the hunt.

* * *

 _Five minutes later_ …

"Here, Princess! Be a good goat and come home," Ruby shouted out as she ringed the bell once again. The two of them had been walking around the forest, searching for a sign of the goat. The had encounter several wild strawberry bushes, and Ruby had ate a few of them, not passing up the chance to eat one of her favorite foods.

"Hm, what kind of person names a goat 'Princess'," Geralt said as he stepped over a fallen log. Ruby rang the bell again as she looked over at her traveling companion.

"You named your horse after a bug."

"No, I didn't. I named it after a fish," the witcher said as he suddenly noticed something on the ground. He got one knee and inspected it as Ruby looked over his shoulder. It was a set of hoof prints that belonged to a goat.

"Hm, it looks like we're close," Geralt commented as the two of them followed the hoof prints. Geralt's ears then picked up the sounds of a goat bleating. The two went pass a tree to find a goat eating the fruit off a raspberry bush.

"There you are," Geralt said as Ruby went up to Princess and started to pet its head. Princess didn't seem to mind this as it continued to eat.

"The last time I saw one of you was when my Dad brought me and Yang to a petting zoo," Ruby said as she stroked Princess's hide.

"Petting zoo," Geralt questioned as Ruby tried to lead the goat away from the bush. However, Princess was rather insistent on eating the berries.

"It's place that you go to where you can pet and feed animals."

"I see," the witcher said as Ruby continued to try to get Princess to budge. She then remembered she still had the bell on her person. Ruby took out the bell and rang it. Princess turned away from the berries and started to follow Ruby, enchanted by the ringing of the bell.

The witcher, huntress, and goat continued to walk back to the pellar's hut, with Ruby ringing the bell to keep Princess focused on them. However, the goat suddenly wander off from the two when it noticed an untouched raspberry bush. Geralt and Ruby walked over to Princess as it nibbled on one of the berries.

"Come on, we need to take you back to the pellar. He misses you something awful," Geralt said, trying to urge the animal to follow them. Ruby once again rang the bell, and Princess began to follow them again. Another few minutes passed once again as they continued to walk through.

"Princess must really like strawberries," Ruby commented as stepped over a few stones.

"That's why it stops following us to eat them. I should of taken the pellar's warning seriously," Geralt mused as he looked back over at Princess, who had once again wandered off of the path. Ruby let out an annoyed whine at this while Geralt simply sighed.

"Princess, please come back! Don't tell me I have to keep ringing the bell to get you to follow!"

Geralt and Ruby then searched for Princess, catching up to it as the goat approached the mouth of a cave. Princess stood completely still in front of the cave as Ruby once again tried to coax it with the bell.

However, Ruby suddenly stopped ringing as a bear rumbled forth from the mouth of the cave. Geralt and Ruby immediately took out their respective weapons and the witcher turned towards Princess.

"Bear, bear," he shouted trying to get the goat to run away. However, Princess just stood there, unaware of the impeding danger. Geralt let out a grunt of frustration as he shouted at Princess again.

"Run, you stupid piece of shit!"

That seemed to get the goat's attention, and Princess wandered off as the bear began its charge. Geralt brought up his free hand and prepared to cast _Aard_. However, he was beaten to the punch as Ruby rushed forward and used Rosebud as a makeshift pole vault. She then contacted the bear and kicked it right in the muzzle. The bear snarled as it tried to swipe at Ruby with his claws. However, Ruby was too quick for it, and she responded by striking at it with three quick slashes of Rosebud. The bear finally decided that fighting the girl wasn't worth the trouble, and wandered back into its cave. Ruby folded Rosebud up and put it on her back while Geralt simply sheathed his sword. The two then walked back and found Princess once again eating strawberries.

"Let's just get her back before the bear shows up again," Geralt said as Ruby once again rang the bell. After more coaxing and bell ringing, they found themselves outside of the pellar's hut. The pellar looked overjoyed to see his pet again.

"Goat of mine! Dearest, sweetest goat," the pellar said happily as he got on his knees and scratched the underside of the goat's chin. Princess seemed to be happy as well as it let out a bleat. Ruby held up her finger in the air and waited for a good opportunity to speak up.

"I don't want to ruin the reunion, but you did promise us to help us."

The pellar continued to pet the goat as Geralt let out a sigh.

"Tamara and Anna might be in danger," he said as the pellar stopped petting Princess, got up and looked at the two.

"The White Wolf and the young pup helped the pellar, and now the pellar shall help them."

The pellar then lead Princess inside before turning to Geralt and Ruby.

"Blood. We need the blood of a living being."

"…we'll be right back," Geralt said as he and Ruby went off to find something that would fit the pellar's requirements. A few minutes later, the two stepped into the hut, with Geralt holding up a rat. The pellar, meanwhile, was busy milking Princess as the goat at from a wooden bucket full of grass and berries.

"Will this do," he asked as the pellar got up and looked at the rat squirming around in Geralt's hand. The pellar responded with a nod before he took some sort of dust out of his pocket and spread it out in a semi-circle. He did the same with the dish of goat's milk that he had required, splashing it over the semi-circle before casually tossing away the clay dish. He then motioned Geralt to hand him the rat. Ruby watched the process with intrigue, and then suddenly squirmed when she saw the pellar cut the rat with a knife. He then spread the blood over the semi-circle. He suddenly then dropped the rat and collapsed to his knees.

Ruby suddenly stifled a gasp as smoke suddenly emerged from his head and shoulders. The pellar began to speak in a possessed voice, as Geralt looked on in interest.

"They are not here. They have gone. Blood, I see blood!"

"Whose," Geralt asked as the pellar turned towards the two. Ruby became unnerved as she looked at the pellar's eyes. They were now completely golden, with no iris, pupil, or sclera. It just looked unnatural and inhuman. The pellar continued to speak in his possessed voice.

"No Anna… no Tamara… just a child."

The smoke suddenly stopped emerging from the pellar, and his possession ended. He suddenly got up and looked at Geralt and Ruby before speaking.

"A child that lives not, yet did not died."

"Who does the child belong to," Geralt asked, interested in the child that the Pellar mentioned.

"Why Anna's."

"Anna was pregnant?"

"She was, and she miscarried," the pellar said as Ruby stood back, stunned at the mention of a death of a child.

"The… the baron never said his wife was pregnant," Ruby said in a hollow tone. The pellar looked down at the young huntress.

"Afriad, perhaps, or ashamed, or forgetful… Or perhaps he had no wish to remember."

"The baron had anything to do with her miscarriage," Geralt asked, trying to put the clues together.

"Perhaps. Foul-tempered, he is, and a fondness of hooch."

"No doubt that makes his temper even fouler."

"Did… did the Baron abuse his family," Ruby asked, having a difficulty processing this. When she had first meet the Baron, he seemed rather friendly and welcoming, and he seemed to love his family a lot. How could someone like that abuse his family? Ruby then straightened up and looked at the pellar.

"Anna visited you, right? You must have noticed something about her."

"The pellar is old and nearly blind, young pup. But Princess came and licked her hand."

"So what," Geralt asked as the Pellar answered him.

"She's a wise beast, only comes to those who suffer."

"What happened to the child?"

"In a grave thrown, without rite or ceremony, it awoke. Now it wanders, it seeks vengeance."

"A botchling," Geralt concluded as Ruby looked at the witcher.

"A what?"

"A botchling is a creature born from a stillborn infant that has been improperly buried. When they arise, they prey upon pregnant women, sucking out their blood and eating their fetuses."

Ruby felt a shiver run down her spine as she heard Geralt's explanation. She didn't know that creatures like those could exist in this world. From what she saw in the Northern Kingdoms, the monsters and beasts that lived there seemed to be no different from the Grimm on Remnant, However, knowing that something like a botchling could exist unnerved her. The pellar once again addressed the two of them.

"White Wolf, wise wolf. You and the pup must catch the botchling. The botchling will help, and will lead the wolves to the loved ones."

"The botchling won't help us," Geralt said as he shook his head. The pellar, however, was rather adamant about this point.

"''Tis a being cursed, and witchers lift curses. If the White Wolf can't lift it, he should bring me its blood. Blood will always find kindred blood."

"The baron ought to know where he buried the infant. Thanks again with the help," Geralt said as he and Ruby left the hut. The two of them got on Roach. Ruby, however, noticed something about Geralt. He looked to be incredibly angry, yet at the same time, he at the same time, he had an eerie calmness to him.

"Geralt, what are we going to do about the Baron?"

"Let's just say that he and I are going to have a nice, long talk."

Next Time - Truths Revealed

* * *

 **A/N:** And here is another chapter of _White Wolf and Red Hood!_

And here we adapt one of the more interesting parts of the Bloody Baron quest. It was really fun to write. I always found the pellar to be a rather interesting character, because of the way he speaks, like how he's speaking in riddles. And trying to find the goat was one of the more interesting quests that I have done in gaming. That, and trying to find a sex bot in _Fallout: New Vegas_.

And I hide a reference to _Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope_ in this chapter. Whoever finds it gets brownie points.

Anyway, I have finals this week, so don't expect another update until after that. Please fave, follow, and leave a review (since I love feedback). I will see you all next update.


	13. Truths Revealed

**White Wolf and Red Hood Chapter 13: Truths Revealed**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own _The Witcher_ or _RWBY._ The former is owned by Andrej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red while the former is owned by Rooster Teeth.

* * *

[Crow's Perch, Velen, Northern Kingdoms]

It was approaching evening as Geralt and Ruby rode on Roach, guiding the mare towards the pathway to Crow's Perch. The witcher had been completely silent on the way back, and Ruby had decided not to bother him this time around. Besides, her thoughts were currently preoccupied with the Bloody Baron, and what she had learned from the pellar's hut.

The young huntress had been haunted by finding out that the Baron had abused his wife and daughter. When he had meet him, the Baron was friendly, jovial, and had spoken of his family fondly. He had come off as the last person you would expect to be a wifebeater. Maybe he used his amicable personality was a front for the violent tyrant that everyone said that he was. However, there was one fact that stuck with Ruby: that the Baron had caused his wife to miscarry.

" _How? How could he do this to Anna when she said he said he loved her,"_ Ruby thought to herself as Geralt guided Roach along the path. The young huntress's mind struggle to figure out how someone could do that to a pregnant woman. She was carrying child with her, and yet the Baron didn't even know or care. He had beaten her anyway, and cause the child to die. Anger began to slowly boil inside her as the two crossed the bridge that lead into Crow's Perch's town.

When the two approached the courtyard of Crow's Perch, they immediately noticed something wrong. An alarm bell was being sounded, and the smell of smoke was thick in the air. They then immediately saw the source of the smoke, and Ruby let out a gasp.

The stables and the barn of Crow's perch was on fire, the bright flames burning hot and black smoke rising into the sky. The strangest part was the Baron's men weren't doing a thing to put it out, not even gathering up buckets of water. An old guard stood near them as they got off Roach. The top of his head was bald, his remaining hair was white, and most of his teeth had fallen out. He was standing there dumbstruck, staring at the fire.

"Oswin? Where's Oswin? Has anyone scene him" another guard said as he stopped where Geralt and Ruby stood. He wore a metal breast plate over a gray tunic and a coif on his head.

"Last time I saw him, he was headin' to the stables," the old guard replied, distressing his companion even more.

"What?"

"Are you fools blind? Haven't you noticed the fire," Geralt said to the two guards.

"Isn't anyone going to put it out," Ruby asked as the old guard looked to her.

"It ain't that simple, lass. Most're afraid. When the Baron goes off on a rage, he takes no prisoners."

The other guard turned to Geralt, worry and panic in his voice.

"My brother's in the stables! We've got to save him or he'll burn alive with the horses!"

That was all the incentive that Ruby needed as she quickly activated her semblance and took off towards the fire like a comet.

"Ruby, wait," Geralt shouted as he tried to reach out and grab Ruby, but she was too quick. Geralt sighed and turned towards the guard.

"We'll see what we can do," he assured him as he ran off after Ruby. As he caught up to her, he saw that Ruby has climbed up a ladder that lead into the barn's rafters. Geralt climbed the ladder and reached the top before he heard something breaking. Suddenly, part of the roof collapsed on the area, knocking Geralt back onto the ground. The witcher groaned as he got and started to scan the area for another ladder or opening to the rafters. He grunted when his search turned up no results and headed towards the barn's door to get it open.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Ruby strained her eyes as she tried to look at her surroundings. The fire was blazing around her and the heat was intense. The smoke was thick, causing the girl to cough profusely. Ruby quickly covered her mouth with part of her cloak. It would keep it out the smoke, but she needed to work quickly and help the stablehand before she would pass out from the smoke. Ruby then followed the sound of packing, neighing horses. She quickly jumped over some debris that was blocking her way. A normal man would have to destroy the debris to get through it. However, Ruby was small and nimble enough to get through it with ease. She eventually reached the place where the rafters connected to the barn of the stables and jumped down. She landed right next to Oswin, who was wearing a coif and bounty hunter gambeson

The stablehand turned and gawked at Ruby. The girl quickly spoke before he could get a word out.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help out."

"R-right. I'm trying to get the horses out before they burn. But part of the roof collapsed and is blocking the way out!"

Ruby turned towards the barn door to see the burned remains of the roof rafters in their path. She quickly took Rosebud off of her back and unfolded the scythe to its full length. Ruby them dashed forward and swung Rosebud several times until the rafters had been cut down and the path was now open. With that done, Ruby then rushed forward and pushed the doors open, letting her out into the evening sky. She suddenly stopped and placed her hands on her knees. The trapped horses then rushed out of the barn and past Ruby. She then took in huge breathes of fresh air as Geralt approached her.

"You alright," he asked, with Ruby responding with a nod as her breathing calmed down. Geralt then turned to see the Baron approaching the two of them. He had clearly been drinking, with a blush on his face and him shifting side to side ocassionally.

"Ha ha! Looks like we have a hero in our midst. You've earned yourself a barrel of Lyrian, lass!"

Geralt approached the Baron as he let Ruby recovered. He then spoke to him in a low, cold voice that was laced with venom.

"I know your wife miscarried. Was that before or after you beat her to a bloody pulp?"

The Baron took offense and got into Geralt's face, and talked to him in a dangerous tone.

"What the fuck are you suggesting?"

"Don't play us for fools, we found out the truth from the pellar. You've been beating them for years, until they finally had enough and fled. Sound about right?"

The Baron growled in rage, but before either man could do anything, an angry voice interrupted them.

"YOU!"

Both of the men turned towards the source, a recovered Ruby Rose. However, her youthful face was contorted into a look of anger, and her eyes were full of rage. She quickly rushed towards the Baron, jumped up, and decked him right in the face. The force of the blow knocked the Baron right onto his back. The punch had busted open a lip, and blood now covered parts of his beard.

Geralt blinked in astonishment at what he just witnessed. It seemed outlandish, but when he thought about it, it did make sense. Ruby did twirl around a huge scythe as if it were a baton, so her having a bit of above average strength was not improbable.

Ruby, however, was far from done with the Baron. She straddled his chest and then started to wail on him, punching him in his face.

"HOW COULD YOU!? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR OWN FAMILY!?"

Geralt quickly intervened and grabbed Ruby by her midsection, pulling her off of the Baron. Ruby thrashed and struggled against Geralt's grasp.

"Ruby, stop it! Without him, we'll lose Ciri's trail."

That seemed to calm the young huntress down, as she stepped thrashing and Geralt let go of her. The witcher then looked back over at the Baron. His face was now bloody and bruised, complete with a black eye and a chipped tooth. Geralt then grabbed the Baron by his shoulders, turned him over to his stomach, and started to drag him off.

The witcher stopped when he had dragged the Baron to a water trough used for horses. He roughly grabbed him by the back of his head and dunked him into the trough. Ruby went over to him as Geralt brought up the Baron's head for a breath bit of air before dunking it again. The witcher brought up the Baron's head again and then roughly threw him to the ground. The Baron coughed violently as he rested his head against the trough. Most of the blood had been washed off of his face, revaling the cuts and bruises Ruby's beatdown had given him. His entire head, along with his neck and shoulders were now soaking wet. All in all, the Baron was now a very pitiable sight.

Geralt and Ruby looked down at the warlord and the witcher gave him a short, terse message.

"We need to talk."

* * *

[The Baron's Study, Crow's Perch, Velen]

 _A few minutes later…_

The fireplace crackled as an uncomfortable silence permeated the room. Geralt and Ruby sat in chairs near the fireplace, while the Baron stood in front of it himself. He ran a hand over his still injured face, the cuts having stopped bleeding. Ruby had calmed down a bit, but was still angry, the rage still burning in her silver eyes. She was the one to break the silence.

"You beat them," she said simply, as the Baron turned around and took a seat, before speaking to Ruby. His voice didn't have a trace of anger in it, but it was dead calm.

"I never laid a finger on Tamara. Not once. Anna, on the other hand… that's another story. That woman always knew how to spark my ire."

Geralt raised his eyebrow at this as he took his turn to question the Baron, his tone still venomous.

"Your wife – how'd she make you angry? Too much salt in the soup? Socks never cleaned?"

The Baron did not raise to the witcher's bait as he continued to talk in that calm, dead tone.

"Anna and I knew each other for twenty years, and she's seen me drunk and sober. She was there to greet me as the victor, and there to patch me up when I returned in defeat. She knew where to press and pinch so it would hurt, like no other woman could."

"So you beat her for that? For criticizing you?"

"You haven't a clue, do you witcher," the Baron replied as he turned towards Geralt. "That's a tale for another time."

Ruby then spoke up as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"After what happened in the courtyard, I'm having trouble believing you were a good father towards Tamara?"

The Baron tightened his grip on his chair's armrest as he turned towards Ruby, his tone becoming a bit more defensive.

"Tamara was _always_ the apple of my eye, lass. She had the run of the place, ask anyone. She'd right the horses, hunt with the men, and even join them on their shifts. They went send her to me when I went into a rage. She was the only one who would calm me."

"If that's true, then why did she run away?"

"If I knew, then I wouldn't need you two."

Geralt got up from his chair and stood by the fireplace, looking down at the Baron.

"You knew they had run away from the very start."

"Yes, I knew."

"So you've been wasting our time. Why not tell us the truth?"

"If I told you? Say I had troubles, and couldn't even control my wife and daughter? What kind of flaccid prick would you have taken me for?"

Geralt let out a sigh as he let his arms fell to his side.

"I admit that I do think you're a prick. But not because you couldn't control them, but because you drove them out."

"What?"

"Don't treat us like fools. You gave them no choice."

Ruby immediately got up from her chair and joined the two older men by the fireplace. She then joined in on their conversation with a simple request."

"Baron, tell us how it happened, and tell us the truth."

The Baron let out a sigh as his two guests sat down next to him, waiting for his tale to begin.

"I'd been drinkin' for three days straight. Anna came to me and told me that they were leavin'. I begged them to stay, but she refused to listen. I tried to stop her, but she wriggled like an eel when I grabbed her. We struggled… and she fell. Last blasted thing I remembered was wakin' up in the morn. My breeches were heavy with piss and there was a bump on her head. Sadly, they were gone."

The Baron then turned to Geralt and glared at him.

"You know what's that like, witcher? No, how the fuck could you? I was left with nothing but the bottle."

Geralt then remembered the evidence he had found in the Baron's bedroom. He then decided to bring it up.

"I saw signs of a fight in your room. There was a hole in the wall and wine all over the landing. Was that you?"

"Aye, we fought. She tried to whack me with a candlestick but kept missin'. Hit the wall and pillar instead. I staggered backwards towards the table, spilled the wine, and then slipped and tumbled. Anna then rushed down the stairs, still clutchin' that candlestick of hers."

The Baron let out another breath as he brought up the next part of the fight.

"I caught her on the landin'. We both tumbled, and… I-I thought I had her. But she then turned and smacked me in the head. I blacked out, and when I came to, I was all alone."

Ruby, who had been listening to the tale intently, then spoke up with a question.

"Did Tamara see you two fighting?"

"Through the doorway, perhaps, but she never entered the room. Shame – things would have turned out differently if she did. Like I said, the sight of her always calmed me."

An epiphany reached the young huntress as she then addressed the Baron.

"I think I now know why your daughter ran away."

Both Geralt and the Baron perked up at this as Ruby offered her explanation.

"She got tired of it all. Tired of your drunken episodes and fits of anger. She was tired of seeing her mother being abused. So she ran off with her to get away from you. While you never harmed a hair on her head, you abused her all the same."

"…like I said, you're a clever lass," the Baron replied monotonously as she stared down at the fireplace. Geralt was caught off guard by the way Ruby spoke. It didn't sound anything like the cheerful and energetic girl he had meet back in White Orchard. He then returned to the conversation at hand.

"What happened next?"

"Next? Oh, it only got worse next. I awoke at sunset, and was unaware of how many days had passed. I thought it was all just another drunken fucking nightmare. I then went into the bedchamber, but Anna was not there. Instead… there was blood everywhere. I knew then that she'd miscarried. I looked near the bed with breath short and my throat locked. And then… I saw it."

The baron's voice started to crack as he continued.

"Laying there was a tiny, defenseless thing… on bloody sheets, dead. And it was my doing."

Ruby let in a short intake of air at the mention of the child's body. Geralt then spoke to the Baron in a sympathetic tone.

"I've seen a lot of dead in my line of work, but that must have been hard."

"Unspeakably so. My legs gave out at the sight. I've seen fields of corpses in Sodden and witches burnin' in Maribor. But compared to this, all of that was like comparin' a rabbit's prick to a great oak. And the guilt is all mine."

Geralt sat up and spoke to the Baron.

"We don't know that yet. The talisman that Anna wore could be linked. Maybe the fact that she lost it could be the cause."

Ruby then looked at the Baron and spoke up.

"What did you do with the body?"

"… I wrapped it in a clean sheet and buried it.

"Just like that," Geralt asked flatly as the Baron snapped back at him, now holding back tears.

"Damn you! I gave no thought to a funeral! It was just a horror that I wanted to end! That child had been my dream! I kept tellin' Anna 'a little one, our little one, to make things right'. And yet she died before she could be born. Don't you understand, witcher? My child was _dead_!"

The witcher and the huntress sat in shock at the Baron's outburst. They didn't know that the Baron had such strong feelings about the dead child, about how it was his hope to keeping his family together. After a few minutes of silence, Geralt spoke up.

"I sympathize with you, I do."

"Thank you, witcher. And I do hope you find your Ciri."

Geralt gave a nod as he explained things to the Baron.

"The deal we made means I need to find Tamara and Anna first. It just so happens that your unborn daughter might help us do that."

"What? How?" The Baron asked in astonishment.

"Sometimes miscarried fetuses, if they don't get a proper burial, turn into botchlings."

"Fucking what?"

Geralt then sighed before explained things to the Baron. Ruby turned away from this, having already had botchlings explained to her. And the entire concept disturbed her.

"A botchling is a cursed creature that draws its strength from killing pregnant women. Once it has gained enough strength, it attacks those who scorn it."

The baron got out of his seat, still baffled by the entire concept.

"But how… how does it know?"

"Blood ties. They're a strong a bond which we're going to use to find your family. There's one of two ways. The first is to bury the botchling under the family threshold, perform a ritual, and turn it into a lubberkin. It's a sort of… hob, a guardian spirit that can lead me to your family."

"And the other way," the Baron asked in a tone that suggested he wouldn't like what he'd hear.

"We kill it, draw its blood, bring it to the pellar, and he does the rest."

The baron glared as he heard the suggestion, his voice now sounding low and cold.

"Do not kill my child. It's suffered enough already. Lift the curse so it may finally rest in peace."

"Geralt, I'm not going to kill the botchling," Ruby said as she stood up and looked at the witcher determinedly. "It was once a baby, and I could never live with myself if I killed it. Let's turn it into a lubberkin and let it rest."

Geralt, nodded, respecting the conviction and determination in the young huntress's voice. He then turned towards the Baron.

"Before we do anything, we need to find the botchling first."

"I'll show you where I buried it and dig the grave at my threshold myself," the baron said as Geralt nodded.

"If it turns we can't turn it into a lubberkin, then they can bury the three of us in the grave. Handy either way," the witcher said as he walked towards the door with Ruby before turning back towards the Baron.

"The sooner we resolve this, the better. Best do it at midnight tonight."

* * *

 _A few hours later…_

The night was dark and a storm was brewing as the three ventured out into Crow's Perch's village. Wind swayed through the trees and bushes, a light rain was dripping down, and the occasional crack of lightning illuminated the sky. The baron had issued an order to the villagers that they lock their doors and pour a line of salt at their doorstep. The witcher and the huntress had spent their time preparing. Geralt had brewed more potions to replenish his stock. Ruby, on the other hand, had used a whetstone on Rosebud's blade and had placed new bombs in her pouches.

"Just a bit further, follow me," the Baron said as he pushed open a gate door that lead into the bottom of the hills. They then started their slow but steady descent. Geralt then decided to question the Baron.

"Have you given the child a name?"

"No. Why?"

"You've made a mistake, then. Names serve as powerful seals.

The group then arrived at the bottom of the hill, near the ruined foundations of a building.

"Here's the spot," the baron said as he motioned his hands around. The burial spot was old and decaying, with overgrown grass and weeds.

"You chose a lovely spot," Geralt replied sarcastically as the Baron grunted at him in frustration.

"Gods damn it, when will you relent? I fucking know I've done wrong."

"Good," Geralt said tersely as he and Ruby looked down at the burial spot. The grave had now been dug up, with a small pile of dirt near it.

"Geralt, what does this mean," Ruby asked nervously as the witcher gave her a simple answer.

"The botchling's on the prowl."

The fleshy, squishy, accompanied by the sound of groaning, was then heard as the three looked towards the source.

Crawling along the ground was a deformed, ugly looking creature that look like a twisted parody of a newborn baby. Its skin was alternating shades of pink and purple. It had bulgy eyes, a deformed nose, and a tongue that would not look out of place on a water hag. What looked like an umbilical cord hanged from its belly and wrapped around it stubby leg. It was the botchling, and it was slowly crawling towards it.

The baron quickly backed away as Geralt unsheathed his silver sword. Ruby, however, looked on at the creature with a sense of pity. The botchling looked like it was suffering every minute as it crawled along the ground. This creature was an infant that was not given a proper burial, and was now forced to walk as this wretched thing. All it wanted was to be put to rest.

"Pick it up in your arms, quick," Geralt whispered towards the Baron, who talked to the witcher in a panicked tone.

"And if it goes garrily? It'll bite us in the ass before we know it."

"If you keep screaming, it'll turn rabid. It's calm for now."

"What happens if it gets restless?"

"It'll bite through your jugular and you'll bleed out before I can help. If it starts wriggling, then I'll calm it with my magic."

Geralt then sheathed his sword before motioning the Baron to pick up the botchling. He did as he was told and tentatively approached the creature before gingerly picking it up.

"Merciful gods," he muttered under his breath. The witcher then turned towards Ruby.

"Ruby, you're on watch for wraiths."

"Wraiths?"

"Ghosts with a hatred towards the living. A botchling's scent can sometimes attract them. If any of them appear, keep them off of our back."

"Any suggestions for them?"

"A Moon Dust bomb will impede its magic and make it turn corporeal," Geralt said as the three began their trek back towards the Baron's manor. Geralt lead the way, with Ruby besides him and the Baron behind them, who was holding the botchling out at arm's length.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered as the three of them passed a house on their way to the first gate. However, as soon as they were pass the first gate, flash of sickly, pale green light appeared and three wraiths rose behind them. They looked vaguely human, with a brown hood covering their heads and their lower halves were made up of cloth robes that flowed. In their right hands were a broken, rusty sword. In their left was a black lantern that glowed that same eerie, green glow.

The botchling started to squirm in the Baron's arms, agitated by the presence of the wraiths.

"Do somethin'," the Baron shouted as Geralt casted _Axii_ with his free hand. A white glow appeared around the botchling's head and it immediately stopped squirming.

Ruby, meanwhile, took a Moon Dust bomb out of her pouch and tossed it at the wraiths. The bomb hit dead center and showered the three wraiths with shards of silver. She then rushed forward with her semblance, Rosebud drawn, and sliced at the three wraiths with the scythe. Two of the wraiths died, wailing in as they disintegrated into two piles of dust. The third one, however, immediately disappeared, much to Ruby's confusion.

Three wraths then rose from the ground and surrounded the young huntress. Gripping her scythe tightly, Ruby spun in a complete circle and the blade cut through the three specters. Two of the wraiths disappeared while the third one let out a wail as it disintegrated. Satisfied with her work, Ruby went back and joined up with Geralt and the Baron. The witcher had his silver sword out, and his free hand was casting _Axii_ , calming the botchling.

The group soon passed the forge, and then reached the fortress. The storm was now raging now, with the rain coming down more steadily and the wind thrashing the trees about. The three arrived at the small grave that had been dug out with a shovel.

"What now," the Baron asked as he looked down at the Botchling.

"Repeat after me," Geralt said as he began to recite an incantation.

"By the powers of earth and sky."

"By the powers of earth and sky."

"By the world that was to be your home."

"By the world that was to be your home."

"Forgive me, for you who came, but who I did not embrace."

At this point, the Baron started to speak in a choked voice, trying to hold back tears as he repeated the next line of the incantation.

"F-Forgive me, for you who came, but who I did not embrace."

"I name thee – say her name – and embrace thee as my daughter."

"I name thee Dea, and embrace thee as my daughter."

The Baron then started to sob, his tears being hidden by the rain. The botchling suddenly stopped wringling and went limp.

"Good, now bury the body," Geralt ordered as the Baron placed the botchling within the grave. He then picked up a shovel, and began to pile dirt onto the grave. Geralt and Ruby watched as the Baron did his task. Soon the grave was completely filled, and the Baron looked towards the witcher.

"What now?"

"In one day's time, Dea should turn into a lubberkin. I'll stay here and wait, and you'll go home."

"I'll stay here with you," the Baron said, but Geralt shook his head at that.

"Out of the question."

"But… that's my child. All of the guilt and responsibility for this lies on me."

"It's long past the time for parental impulses. Besides, there's nothing you can do here."

"But-"

"No 'buts'. The only thing left to do here is a witcher's work. Have to wait a day and a night for it to turn into a lubberkin."

The baron sighed in defeat as he went off towards the fortress. Geralt looked at Ruby, who had pulled her cloak around her to keep herself dry from the rain.

"You should go get some rest yourself," he said as Ruby replied with a nod.

"Good point. I don't think I could stand around waiting for the blubberkin to appear," she said as she walked off before suddenly stopping.

"Something the matter," Geralt asked as Ruby answered.

"You know, I thought the Baron would be completely unrepeteant about how he treated his family, like an evil parent from a fairy tale. I didn't expect him to have so much regret over it."

"Well, Ruby, the real world isn't as black and white as fairy tales make them out to be."

Next Time - Follow the Spirit

* * *

 **A/N:** And welcome to another chapter of White Wolf & Red Hood.

First off, I'd like to apologize for the long delay between chapters. I've been distracted these past few months with my job, my schoolwork, and the main source of procrastination, video games (I recently got _Assassin's Creed Origins_ and _Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus_ , and I plan to get _Destiny 2_ soon). But this delay between updates isn't as bad as the delays for _Of Reapers & Ninja _and _Fate/Zero Shinobi._

I'd like to give a special shout out to AnimeA55Kicker, who's becoming my favorite reviewer of this fic. His review of the previous chapter and the suggestions he made helped out in the writing of this one. That's why I had Ruby knock out the Baron and had her point out that just because he never harmed Tamara didn't mean he didn't suffer from his abuse.

And in other news, there's going to be a Witcher Netflix series based on the books. I'm pretty excited for it even though I have not read all of the books (I'm currently reading Stephen King's Dark Tower books). I personally hope to see Mads Mikkelsen cast as Geralt. And before you say that a big name actor like Mikkelsen would never do television, I should point to my counter examples of Kevin Spacey in _House of Cards_ and Sean Bean headlining the first season of _Game of Thrones_.

Anyway, please leave a review as well as fave or follow. I'll see you guys next chapter.


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